The best of London’s upcoming food events

By  Rachel Davies

Whilst you can’t beat a home cooked meal, there’s a food revolution spreading though the city with plenty of food-based fun to be had outside of the kitchen!

Street food is flourishing through London and the UK. With a focus on well-sourced ingredients, hundreds of street food vendors are serving up authentic, affordable, freshly-made grub.

And along with street food come street food markets; springing up everywhere, each one offering cuisines from around the world. And that’s what makes them so special: the sheer variety on offer.

One of my favourite markets is Ropewalk (aka Maltby Street Market), an extension of Borough Market, only more intimate and full of hidden gems. The stalls are well selected and the variety is great: Jewish soul food from Monti’s Deli, Mozambique-style sauces and marinades from African Volcano, Spanish cheese and cured meats from Tozino (London’s first jamon bodega!) and fresh and sweet treats from Waffle On.

After an afternoon’s grazing, why not reward yourself with a tipple from Little Bird Gin or Life’s a Bottle’s pop-up bars?

And be sure to pick up some freshly baked bread from St John’s Bakery. It’s on every Saturday so there’s no reason to miss out!

Or if you prefer a table when you’re eating, the London Restaurant Festival (running until 15 October) may be just the thing for you. Over 800 restaurants across the capital take part so there’ll be something for everyone.

I’m most excited about The Gourmet Oddysey (where diners get to sample different courses at three different restaurants!) and the Tapas Tour of London’s finest tapas restaurants.

Hosted by chef Valentina Harris, the Cheese and Wine Festival is gracing London with its presence over two upcoming weekends (Friday 11 – Sunday 13 October at the Southbank Centre, Friday 1 – Saturday 2 November in Old Spitalfields Market).

With demos, tastings, talks and the finest artisan produce on sale it really will be a fantastic event… and one I’m particularly excited about as I’m giving a cookery demonstration!

Come down to the Southbank Centre on Friday 11 October at 4pm and I’ll show you how to make buttery Parmesan shortbread biscuits with a delicious green olive tapenade, and Parmesan tuiles. Tickets can be purchased here for only £2.

And next one my list, something a little more interactive. A towering pyramid of pumpkins rising out of the pond may feel like you’ve been transported to a computer game, but fear not. All you need to do is pop down to Kew Garden’s IncrEdibles Autumn Festival, a voyage into the weird and wonderful world of edible delights.

Whether it’s gawping at an artistic installation like the giant fungi fairy ring, learning how to carve a pumpkin, checking out the International Garden Photographer of the Year exhibition or strolling along the pumpkin parade – take a look at the website for a full list of activities, on until 3 November.

And for those with a sweet tooth, The Chocolate Festival returns in December. With workshops, demos, book signings and stalls selling all things chocolate, it will be a heavenly experience for all chocoholics.

I’ll be giving a demonstration of my Salted Caramel Pecan Chocolate Brownie so come down for 2pm on Friday 13 December to see me in action. Tickets are £2 and available here.

Other highlights include a Chocolate Afternoon Tea based on the international best seller ‘Chocolat’, and the Masters Chocolate Afternoon with Paul A Young, Damian Allsop and Rococo amongst others.

Let me know if you have any other foodie events in your diaries for me to share. Hope to see you soon!

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If any of the above inspired you to get creative in the kitchen why not try:

My delicious Sri Lankan Soup if you’ve been inspired by the exotic cuisines available at street food markets.

Have a go at making my Chocolate Tortellini, which went down a storm at last year’s Chocolate Festival.

Or check out our classes or sign up to the Rachel’s Kitchen newsletter here.