Leading food brand Macknade is celebrating its 175th anniversary with a huge birthday bash.

The Kent-based food and drink retailer is inviting visitors to its flagship Faversham Food Village to mark the occasion on Saturday, September 17.

The birthday party will feature local producers with tastings, masterclasses and street food and drink stalls, which will showcase Macknade’s partners from the local community.

There will also be live music from Gracie and the Booms and a feel-good soundtrack from DJ Finchy.

“175 years is an incredible milestone and it is only fitting that we celebrate it in style with our community of staff, suppliers and friends,” says Macknade CEO Stefano Cuomo.

In 1847, Frederick Neame Snr began Macknade Farm in Faversham, which quickly became a leading fruit and vegetable grower in the area.

The farm was handed down through the generations and built up a strong reputation for high-quality produce, with Macknade pears even being served at the wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Philip Mountbatten in 1947.

In 1979, Stefano’s mother Patricia Neame and her husband Renato Cuomo opened a pick-your-own area of the farm and, in 2001, the family decided to focus purely on retail.

Since then, the business has expanded to include a café and outdoor Food Village at the Faversham site and has also opened a second location at Elwick Place in Ashford.

The birthday celebration will look back at Macknade’s fascinating history and its connection to the community over the past 175 years, with musicians, artisan producers and food experts from the local area.

“Expect music from top local performers (including one of our very own!) and masterclasses from suppliers including &Bloss Coffee and Greensand Ridge Distillery,” says Stefano, who is the sixth generation of his family to lead Macknade.

“We’ve also got a special bar curated by the team at Wasted Kitchen using local ingredients to compliment the delicious food from our resident traders.”

If you’re bringing the whole family along for the day, there will be plenty of kids’ crafts activities for young visitors to enjoy too.

And, to make the birthday particularly memorable, all Macknade customers from Saturday, September 17 to Saturday, October 15 will have the chance to win one of 175 prizes.

Shoppers at either the Faversham or Ashford store will be given a prize card revealing what they have won. Prizes range from a wine tasting experience at Simpsons Vineyard to a limited-edition Macknade t-shirt.

The 175th birthday celebration takes place at Macknade in Faversham on Saturday, September 17 from 12pm to 9pm. There’s no need to book and the event is free to enter.

Find out more information about the event here.