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Local Events & Markets
Whether you want to sample some fantastically famous local produce or discover something brand new made in Dorset, our wonderful food and drink businesses run events throughout the year. Use this page to find the next opportunity or a wonderful local market to mooch around – always time well spent!
march
No Events
april
08apr10:00 am2:30 amCrown Square Poundbury Easter Market & Easter Egg Hunt
Event Details
After the success of last years christmas market we are delighted to be hosting a smaller Easter market in Crown Square Poundbury along with an Easter Egg Hunt. Crown Square Poundbury DT1
Event Details
After the success of last years christmas market we are delighted to be hosting a smaller Easter market in Crown Square Poundbury along with an Easter Egg Hunt.
Crown Square Poundbury
DT1 3EN
Time
(Saturday) 10:00 am - 2:30 am
08apr10:00 am4:00 pmAbbotsbury Food Fair in association with Dorset Food & Drink

Event Details
In association with Dorset Food & Drink come along to the Abbotsbury Food Fair 2023. Ticket includes entry to the Subtropical Gardens. With around
Event Details
In association with Dorset Food & Drink come along to the Abbotsbury Food Fair 2023. Ticket includes entry to the Subtropical Gardens. With around 30 stalls of makers and producers, food, drink and crafts from across Dorset. A fantastic fun day out in the beautiful setting of the Gardens. The perfect kick off to the season! Support eating and shopping local!
Time
(Saturday) 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
25apr3:00 pm5:00 pmFurleigh Estate Bacchus and Asparagus Tasting

Event Details
Celebrate the start of the English asparagus season with local growers Bothen Hill Anita and Chip de Greeff, owners of Bothen Hill grow their award-winning asparagus just over the hedge
Event Details
Celebrate the start of the English asparagus season with local growers Bothen Hill
Anita and Chip de Greeff, owners of Bothen Hill grow their award-winning asparagus just over the hedge from Furleigh’s Bacchus vines.
They are West Dorset’s largest organic vegetable growers with over 150 different varieties grown on more than 15 acres.
Tickets £30.00 pp
On arrival you will be greeted with a glass of Furleigh fizz, while Anita and Chip introduce us to the world of Dorset asparagus and the trials and tribulations of organic vegetable growing. There will be a gardeners’ Q & A session after the talk for those seeking expert advice for their vegetable plots!
The wine team at Furleigh will then guide you through the development of what has become England’s iconic still wine grape variety, which will be served with a selection of asparagus-based canapés.
Book your tickets: at https://furleighestate.co.uk/product/bacchus-asparagus-tasting-
Time
(Tuesday) 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Location
Furleigh Estate
Furleigh Farm Salwayash, Salwayash, Bridport DT6 5JF
may
04may2:30 pmKing’s Coronation Afternoon Tea Party at Furleigh Estate

Event Details
Furleigh Estate invite you to join them at their cellar door to celebrate the Coronation of King Charles III with fizz and afternoon tea. On arrival you will be greeted with a
Event Details
Furleigh Estate invite you to join them at their cellar door to celebrate the Coronation of King Charles III with fizz and afternoon tea.
On arrival you will be greeted with a glass of our King’s Cuvée, before being seated for your afternoon tea.
Our coronation afternoon tea provided by local chef Connie Hawker will consist of a selection of finger sandwiches, savouries and sweet treats to include mini coronation trifle. Food will be served with a pot of tea and a glass of Furleigh Estate Everdene.
Singer and pianist Julie Dunn will be entertaining us with classic jazz songs throughout the afternoon.
Tickets are £55 per person and group bookings are welcome.
Numbers are limited so please book your place at https://furleighestate.co.uk/product/king-s-coronation-afternoon-tea-party
Time
(Thursday) 2:30 pm
Location
Furleigh Estate
Furleigh Farm Salwayash, Salwayash, Bridport DT6 5JF
21may10:00 am4:00 pmAlresford Watercress Festival

Event Details
A festival to celebrate all things Watercress. Offering a full day of entertainment, education, food and fun. The free festival open to all with no tickets required. The only charge is parking
Event Details
A festival to celebrate all things Watercress.
Offering a full day of entertainment, education, food and fun. The free festival open to all with no tickets required. The only charge is parking and your own personal spend.
The day begins at 10am with the opening cavalcade and freshly harvested watercress being thrown to the crowds by the newly crowned Watercress King and Queen – don’t miss it!
Joining culinary legend and master of seasonal ingredients Mark Hix on the cookery stage will be newcomer and MasterChef: The Professionals 2022 finalist, Charlie Jeffreys, as well as the hugely popular TV chef, Lesley Walters, all showing their skills and wonderful ways with watercress!
So, there’s certainly, lots for festival goers to get their teeth into especially as Mark will be making extra portions of his watercress recipes so that audience members can bid to buy them and raise funds for the festival charity, Abby’s Heroes.
For more information and to keep up to date with new attractions being added to the day, visit www.watercressfestival.org or follow the event social media:
https://www.facebook.com/WatercressFestival
https://twitter.com/WatercressFest https://www.instagram.com/watercressfest/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjH1QX_TfbBEi7uFYS78BUA/featured
For recipes, visit www.watercress.co.uk and for information about the health benefits of watercress go to www.thewatercresscompany.com
Time
(Sunday) 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Location
Alresford
27may(may 27)10:00 am28(may 28)4:00 pmAbbotsbury Swannery Summer Fair

Event Details
A family focused weekend of fun at Abbotsbury Swannery, nestled on the World Heritage Site Jurassic Coast. Includes food, drink and artisan craft
Event Details
A family focused weekend of fun at Abbotsbury Swannery, nestled on the World Heritage Site Jurassic Coast.
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Includes food, drink and artisan craft stalls provided by Dorset Food & Drink.
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Swannery Rangers Art and Craft Stalls (prints, greeting cards & photography)
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Static Engine Display
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Swan Maze
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Pedal Go-Karts
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Nature and Eco activities
Time
27 (Saturday) 10:00 am - 28 (Sunday) 4:00 pm
june
13jun12:00 pm2:30 pmCrab Cracking Masterclass at Furleigh Estate with Sally’s Fish Camp

Event Details
Join the Furleigh Estate wine team and Sally’s Fish Camp for a masterclass in crab cracking! There are two dates for this crab cracking spectacular – Tuesday 13th & Tuesday 20th June
Event Details
Join the Furleigh Estate wine team and Sally’s Fish Camp for a masterclass in crab cracking!
There are two dates for this crab cracking spectacular – Tuesday 13th & Tuesday 20th June 2023 from 12 noon to 2.30pm.
You will learn how to crack, pick and dress a fresh crab.
The masterclass will start with a glass of our delicious sparkling wine, before Sally immerses you in cracking, twisting, pulling and prepping your crab.
Then get to sit back and enjoy the fruits of your learning, with your delicious dressed crab, served with homemade sourdough & locally hand-picked leaves, and accompanied by a glass of our exceptional sparkling wine.
Sally Allan has over 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry and her endless passion and taste for shellfish and seafood guarantees you will have a cracking time and leave with a wealth of knowledge!
Tickets are £85 pp and can be booked at:https://furleighestate.co.uk/product/crab-cracking-masterclass
Time
(Tuesday) 12:00 pm - 2:30 pm
Location
Furleigh Estate
Furleigh Farm Salwayash, Salwayash, Bridport DT6 5JF
28jun(jun 28)10:00 am02jul(jul 2)5:00 pmThe Summer Festival
Event Details
The Summer Festival combines everything beautiful for your home…inside and out. This 5-day festival incorporates not only 60 crafters
Event Details
The Summer Festival combines everything beautiful for your home…inside and out.
This 5-day festival incorporates not only 60 crafters and makers but all things for alfresco living. With inspiration from our Fire and Food outdoor kitchen you will be able to enjoy BBQ demonstrations and all aspects of outdoor living too.
We will also be showcasing the best artists and makers in Dorset all gathered in the spectacular surroundings at Sculpture by the Lakes. Many exhibitors will not only be selling their works but also demonstrating their skills to allow you to appreciate the process of their craft. Watch pots being thrown, live raku firing, blacksmith forging and much more.
So, join us for the Summer Festival, for a wonderful day out.
Tickets required, book online at https://tickets.sculpturebythelakes.co.uk/
Time
June 28 (Wednesday) 10:00 am - July 2 (Sunday) 5:00 pm
july
28jun(jun 28)10:00 am02jul(jul 2)5:00 pmThe Summer Festival
Event Details
The Summer Festival combines everything beautiful for your home…inside and out. This 5-day festival incorporates not only 60 crafters
Event Details
The Summer Festival combines everything beautiful for your home…inside and out.
This 5-day festival incorporates not only 60 crafters and makers but all things for alfresco living. With inspiration from our Fire and Food outdoor kitchen you will be able to enjoy BBQ demonstrations and all aspects of outdoor living too.
We will also be showcasing the best artists and makers in Dorset all gathered in the spectacular surroundings at Sculpture by the Lakes. Many exhibitors will not only be selling their works but also demonstrating their skills to allow you to appreciate the process of their craft. Watch pots being thrown, live raku firing, blacksmith forging and much more.
So, join us for the Summer Festival, for a wonderful day out.
Tickets required, book online at https://tickets.sculpturebythelakes.co.uk/
Time
June 28 (Wednesday) 10:00 am - July 2 (Sunday) 5:00 pm
15jul10:00 am4:00 pmBEEFEST POUNDBURY -Great Field
Event Details
Beefest Poundbury is back on Saturday 15th July 2023 on the Great Field Poundbury. We will have local beekeepers, food, children’s activities, craft stalls, plants and so much more.
Event Details
Beefest Poundbury is back on Saturday 15th July 2023 on the Great Field Poundbury.
We will have local beekeepers, food, children’s activities, craft stalls, plants and so much more.
Time
(Saturday) 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
august
05aug10:00 am3:00 pmDorset Food & Arts Festival 2023

Event Details
The Dorset Food and Arts Festival is back on the menu, and ready to champion the best of Dorset and showcase a great line up of local food, drink, art,
Event Details
The Dorset Food and Arts Festival is back on the menu, and ready to champion the best of Dorset and showcase
a great line up of local food, drink, art, craft and community talent.
Join us on Saturday 5 August from 10am – 3pm on the Great Field in Poundbury, as we bring together a FREE ‘pop-up’ festival market!
With 60 plus stalls, there’s bound to be something to surprise and delight you.
It’s the perfect opportunity to shop for a wide selection of delicious products and artisan crafts.
Grab a bite to eat and enjoy a tipple as you shop with local stallholders, producers, and makers – offering tasty food and drink,
handmade gifts, art, and beautiful crafts.
We’re bringing together a fantastic collective of makers and food producers with the buzz of a traditional market – but the icing on the cake is that when you shop at events like this, you get to MEET the amazing people who make, bake, brew, farm, grow, cook, milk, preserve, pickle, and serve you with all this local loveliness- many of them award-winning!
Check in with us in the run up to the event as we add and introduce you to our 2023 line up!
But until then, we look forward to welcoming you and on Saturday 5 August!
Pop the date in your diary and please mark yourself as ‘Attending’ on the Facebook Event.
This way our lovely stallholders will be able to bring enough goodies to keep you going and minimise wastage.
We cant wait to see you!
Time
(Saturday) 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Location
The Great Field - Poundbury
Peverell Ave E, Poundbury, Dorchester DT1 3RH
Organizer
Dorset Food & Drink
05aug(aug 5)10:00 am06(aug 6)5:00 pmNew Forest Food Festival
Event Details
New Forest Food Festival is an event for all the family. Rich in local produce, artisan foodies and makers, internationally-renowned chefs and
Event Details
New Forest Food Festival is an event for all the family. Rich in local produce, artisan foodies and makers, internationally-renowned chefs and restaurants, unique skills and intricate crafts, showcasing the best of the New Forest.
From craft baking to organic local brewing, artisan cheese to local chocolates, the world-famous Pannage Pork to some seriously mouth-watering botanical gins – the New Forest Food Festival has it all, and more. We have activities for everyone including live music, craft displays, street theatre, mini fun fair and lots of kids activities and….. kids go free! Keep an eye on the website for more information.
Time
5 (Saturday) 10:00 am - 6 (Sunday) 5:00 pm
05aug(aug 5)10:00 am06(aug 6)5:00 pmGreat Dorset Chilli Festival

Event Details
Back at the new venue of Stock Gaylard Deer Park, near Sturminster Newton, with over 120 trade stands, the Great Dorset Chilli Festival is set to be the hottest
Event Details
Back at the new venue of Stock Gaylard Deer Park, near Sturminster Newton, with over 120 trade stands, the Great Dorset Chilli Festival is set to be the hottest weekend this summer. Locals and visitors will be able to visit the 2 day food festival celebrating the world of chilli peppers, from growing chilli plants and sampling chilli sauces, to enjoying spicy international street food and of course watching the chilli eating competition. However it’s not just chillies, so if spice isn’t your thing there is plenty of artisan food shopping to be done, plus homewares such as hand-painted ceramics to watercolours for the kitchen, to leathercraft and beautifully crafted wooden chopping boards. Much of the food available to take home or enjoy for lunch focusses on flavour rather than chilli heat. One of the highlights of the festival is The UK Chilli Cook-off Association’s National Grand Masters chilli cook-off , showcasing the best chilli teams in the country in a competition that will truly determine who is the best chilli chef in the UK. With a new feature this year, on the Saturday teams will be asked to cook a curry. On Sunday, teams will be cooking the traditional red chilli. On both days the curry/chilli will be judged by the public as well as the main judging team. Festival visitors can buy a spoon for charity to sample all the entries, but need to be quick as there a limited number of spoons available! Chilli eating competitions Videos of the Great Dorset Chilli Eating Competitions have racked up millions of views on Youtube, but nothing compares to the atmosphere of watching it live. Often dubbed as the highlight of the day, the Chilli Eating Competition will be testing the limits of even the most hardened chilli-heads. Brave competitors will subject themselves to rounds of increasingly hot chillies, which they have to consume in their entirety before they progress to the next round. The last man or woman standing will be crowned the winner. Willing volunteers need to email info@greatdorsetchillifestival.co.uk to request an application form ahead of the event. Live Music Fresh from performing at Glastonbury, bluegrass band Old Baby Mackerel will be singing about whisky, railroads and heartbreak on Saturday as will tex-mex rock ‘n’ boogie band Snake Oil, with Dorset bands The Mother Ukers and The Jimmy Hillbillies performing on Sunday. Buskers beside the cider tent are Big Joe Bone on Saturday and Rob Berry Blues on Sunday. Cooking demonstrations 2023 line-up to be confirmed. Dorset chefs such as Mark Hartstone of La Fosse in Cranborne and Mat Follas (Masterchef 2009 winner) were seen turning up the heat in the kitchen last year. We also had a guest appearance by Sue Stoneman, BBQ maestro, who showed visitors how to bake chilli brownies and Atomic Buffalo Turds on a barbecue. Talks on Growing Chillies Everyone seems to have a chilli plant on their windowsill these days. Hear from the experts the top tips for getting the best from your chilli plants, with Joy Michaud who created the super-hot Dorset Naga, and Matt Simpson who was featured in the Daily Mail shouted curses at his plants to make them hotter! Entertainment Come and watch the amazing birds of prey flying displays at 2.30pm each afternoon, or try your hand at some circus skills. We’ll have fire shows, bouncy castles, mini quad bike ‘train’ rides, and face painting, you can even have your caricature drawn. Tickets For tickets go to www.GreatDorsetChilliFestival.co.uk 10am-5pm - Saturday 5th Sunday 6th August Well behaved dogs on leads welcome No camping
Time
5 (Saturday) 10:00 am - 6 (Sunday) 5:00 pm
september
No Events
october
No Events
november
25nov(nov 25)10:00 am26(nov 26)3:00 pmDorset Food & Drink Christmas Fair at Athelhampton

Event Details
Feast mode activated! The Dorset Food & Drink Christmas Fair is back at Athelhampton House for 2023! We’re making our
Event Details
Feast mode activated!
The Dorset Food & Drink Christmas Fair is back at Athelhampton House for 2023!
We’re making our lists and checking them twice to make sure we’ve got all the ingredients for a cracking line up of Dorset food, drink, artists, and makers, to bring you a weekend of festive shopping and gift inspirations.
Come rain or shine, we’ll be pleased to welcome you. Plenty of parking and most of the stalls are under cover in the event marquee or in the house.
Join us on:
Saturday 25 & Sunday 26 November from 10am – 3pm at Athelhampton House as we bring you a superb mix of local producers and makers.
Follow the AA road signs, and you’ll be sure to find us at this beautiful Dorset Tudor Manor House. It’s a photographer’s dream, so don’t forget your camera!
Book via the Athelhampton website later in the year and take advantage of early bird tickets!
This way it gives us a better idea of how many people are coming, so our lovely stallholders have enough goodies for you. Some tickets will be available on the gate over the weekend, but this is not guaranteed.
What to expect
Shopping small is BIG for local communities, where you can discover unique gifts, so whether it’s local cheese, funky craft ales, seasonal treats, chocolate, wine, or something made by our talented artisans – there are plenty of stocking fillers, so you can shop small or large depending on your budget. Plus, it’s a great way to support your local producers and makers – many with multi award winning products! Keep it local, and get to know the people who make, bake, brew, cook, sew, grow, craft, and create lovely things.
Festive tipples including wine from Furleigh Estate and Bride Valley Vineyard, cider, beer, spirits, cocktails, ginger-based cordials, and liqueurs. Hot food; including veggie and vegan offerings. Cheese, game, locally reared fresh meat, chocolate, coffee beans, tableware, honey, handmade soaps, preserves, chutney. Spicy sauces, pies, biscuits, mince pies, artisan jewellery, glass art, local photography, art cards, paintings, charcuterie, cakes, Christmas puds, chef knife sets, artisan bread, traditional Dorset bakes, oils and spices, and our festive coffee bars.
Most stall holders accept card payments, but Wi-Fi can sometimes be a bit slow, and we don’t want you to miss a purchase, so cash is always welcomed!
Athelhampton House Café will be selling snacks and hot drinks. The House will be closed for viewing during this event, however some of the Garden will be open.
Last admissions 2.30pm.
It would be smashing to see you!
We’ll confirm our festive line up a bit nearer the date!
Time
25 (Saturday) 10:00 am - 26 (Sunday) 3:00 pm
december
No Events
january
No Events
february
No Events