More on KentOnline
Tom Kerridge’s mouth-watering food, drink and music festival will be cooking up a storm in Kent this summer.
Pub in the Park returns to Tunbridge Wells’ Dunorlan Park in July for a weekend of live music, top celebrity chefs and pop-up bars.
The line-up for this year’s three-day touring festival includes headline sets from drum and bass group Rudimental, pop band McFly and disco legends Sister Sledge.
They will perform alongside the likes of ‘90s band EMF, singer-songwriter Badly Drawn Boy and tribute band Fleetwood Bac.
There will also be a full programme of foodie delights, with three top chefs joining Pub in the Park for the first time this year.
Television presenter and Great British Menu star Andi Oliver will launch the festival on Friday night, followed by Hairy Bikers chef Si King, who will be presenting the next day. Saturday Kitchen’s Matt Tebbutt will then close the event on Sunday.
The trio will be hosting Q&A sessions, live demonstrations and cooking masterclasses throughout the weekend.
There will also be a range of pubs and restaurants who will be setting up shop during the festival to serve up signature dishes.
This year, visitors can expect food such as croquetas de jamon from Tapas Brindisa, Keema Pao from Atul Kochhar Restaurants and a crispy chicken slider from the Kentish Hare.
There will also be a smoked cheddar, BBQ bourbon and jalapeño burger Tom Kerridge’s two Michelin-starred The Hand and Flowers.
Visitors will also have a choice of several plant-based options, such as vegetarian hot dogs, street corn, cauliflower bites and vegan meatballs with tomato sauce.
Each restaurant will also offer a children’s dish for the first time this year.
The festival will also be launching its Rock and Roll Cooking sessions at this year’s festival, which will see McFly frontman Danny Jones team up with chefs to cook together live on stage.
For the Tunbridge Wells dates, the guitarist - who reached the finals of Celebrity Masterchef last year - will be cooking with Si King.
“I’m buzzing to be joining Pub in the Park again this year,” says Danny. “It’s the biggest food and music festival in the UK and I can’t wait to combine my first love with my newest passion.
“I’m so excited to get stuck in whizzing up some banging recipes with amazing chefs. It’s going to be epic!”
Pub in the Park is partnering with Nourish Community Food Bank in Tunbridge Wells for their new ‘donate-a-dish’ scheme.
This year, every restaurant menu will include a ‘donate-a-dish’ option where customers can choose to donate £3 to the food bank charity.
“We're all about food here at Pub in the Park and we want to do everything we can to support families who are struggling to put food on the table,” says Pub in the Park founder Tom Kerridge. “Giving back to the local communities in each town that we visit is so important to us, and an essential part of the festival this year and beyond.”
Pub in the Park will be at Dunorlan Park in Tunbridge Wells from Friday, July 7 to Sunday, July 9. You can book tickets online here.
You can also find the full festival line-up on the Pub in the Park website.