London is a city that’s obsessed with food – that much is obvious. From an almost never-ending roster of pop-ups and restaurant openings to the city’s myriad food markets, craft breweries, sustainable start-ups and epicurean events, there’s something new to eat or drink launching on an almost unbelievably regular basis.
One of the most renowned – and prestigious – occasions in the food and drink calendar is Taste of London, a five-day food festival in Regent’s Park that’s dedicated to all of the above and a hell of a lot more. This year, from 13-17 June, 55,000 visitors will flock to the festival to try dishes from some of the capital’s best chefs, get hands-on with interactive masterclasses and fill up on fantastic food and drink from London’s finest.
Taste of London is guaranteed to give you an in-depth insight into the ever-evolving world of food in the city, and as a result there’s absolutely tons going on across the five days. So that you don’t miss all the good stuff, we’ve rounded up the best of the best. Here are five events and exhibitors you’ll want to pay a visit to while you’re there...
Belazu
If the sunshine's got you hankering for a taste of the Mediterranean in Regent's Park, look no further than Belazu's stand. The brand – which you might know from its ranges of hand-picked, sun-drenched Mediterranean produce, from olives to vinegars, snacks to cooking ingredients – is setting up shop at Taste and enlisting some amazing chefs to cook up tapas and snacks with its products. There'll be everyone from Elystan Street's Toby Burrowes, Hide's Josh Angus, Anna Hansen, Alexandra Dudley and Romy Gill joining Belazu's head development chef Henry Moro in the kitchen, as well as product tastings, wines and beers – namely from Five Points, the Hackney brewer located just an olive stone's throw from where Belazu's story started.
How to get involved
Taste of London's flagship event runs from 13-17 June in Regent's Park, London. Entry passes give you full access to the festival grounds. A selection of bundles and VIP passes are available for and extra cost, too.
Taste of London is located at London Regent’s Park, NW1 4NR. Entry costs £17. For further information on the festival and additional ticket options, head to london.tastefestivals.com
Celebrity Edge
Celebrity Cruises’ immersive chef’s table returns to Taste of London for the sixth year running. Book yourself in and let Michelin-starred Cornelius Gallagher, Celebrity’s ‘vice president of culinary’, take you around the world bite by bite. Not only is this your chance to sample some seriously delicious food (alongside perfect wine pairings, of course), but you’ll also get a sneak peek of the menu on board Celebrity Edge before she sets sail for the first time in November 2018. Efficient and tasty? We’ll raise a glass to that.
Ladies of Restaurants
London’s much-loved networking collective for women in hospitality will be making its debut at Taste this year. Ladies of Restaurants is run by Natalia Ribbe and Libby Andrews, and is aimed at bringing women in the industry together over a glass of wine to offer support, friendship and advice. Whether you work in the industry or not, it’s definitely one to check out – not least because there’ll be fantastic food and cocktails on offer by the likes of Ravneet Gill and Missy Flynn.
Prosecco DOC
Not all wines were created equal, and Taste of London will have you tasting some of the very best. At Prosecco DOC’s stand – hosted in collaboration with Grana Padano cheese – experts will be on hand to walk you through the flavours and complexities of a tasty roster of sparkling wines from the iconic Italian region. There’ll also be cooking demonstrations led by Danilo Cortellini, the head chef at the Italian Embassy in London, and Grana Padano cheese and prosecco pairings with Francesco Mazzei.
Taste of London restaurants
You know that restaurant you’ve always wanted to visit but haven’t found the time (or maybe budget) to check out yet? Yeah, they’re probably previewing at Taste, which means you can do the rounds and tick off a whole number of places you’ve been desperate to try for months. There’s around 40 different restaurants dishing up this year and too many to mention here, but we’ve already got our sights on Robin Gill’s Sorella, the West African-inspired monkfish from Ikoyi and a few of the dishes from Smoke & Salt.
