This year's Pub in the Park in St Albans was a triumph, boasting an enviable selection of great food, impressive headliners and a party atmosphere.
The brainchild of celebrity chef Tom Kerridge, Pub in the Park is the UK's largest food and music festival, with three-day events held annually at various locations across the country.
Pub in the Park aims to celebrate everything there is to love about British pubs - delicious food, award-winning chefs, refreshing drinks and great live music.
In Verulamium Park at the weekend, music stars Olly Murs, Paloma Faith, and Scouting for Girls took to the stage to entertain the enthusiastic crowds, and they did not disappoint.
I went along on Saturday afternoon and the atmosphere was electric, with Scouting for Girls putting on a high-energy performance filled with some of their classic crowd-pleasing songs.
It was great to sit on the grass in the sunshine and listen to the music while munching on some tasty food from one of the 10 restaurants there. They were serving a range of dishes, from lamb massaman curry and barbecue pulled pork, to Thai spiced cauliflower and classic shrimp 'n' grits. All the restaurants also had child-friendly options, including macaroni cheese, and sausage and chips, so everyone was catered for.
I opted for the samosa chaat - a peas and potato-filled fried pastry, chickpeas chaat, tamarind and mint chutney. It was well presented, bursting with flavour and very filling. At £7, it was also a reasonable price, as were many of the dishes on offer - not something that's common at a festival.
Over the course of the weekend, there were demonstrations by celebrity chefs and foodies such as Simon Rimmer, Candice Brown, Matt Tebbutt and, of course, Tom Kerridge. Their enthusiastic talks were a great way to pick up some handy hints and tips, and the food looked delicious.
Elsewhere at the venue, there was an artisan village full of independent traders selling tasty treats and foodie gifts, from delicious cakes and brownies, to homemade apple crumble and gin. I plumped for the All American Bar brownie from The Yummy Yank, which was packed with chocolate chip cookie dough, peanut butter cups and Oreo cookie. Needless to say it didn't last long, with everyone in my tribe keen to get their hands on some!
If you fancied a tipple, there were plenty of bars depending on your preference - from cold pints at the Greene King tap bar, to sparkling wine from Chapel Down, and crafted cocktails. There's something wonderful about sitting in the sunshine, sipping a prosecco and listening to live music.
As for entertaining the little ones, the festival was family-friendly, with a dedicated children's area and 'Super Pirate' entertainers providing games and activities.
St Albans City Football Club also put on challenges for children, and fairground attractions including hook-a-duck and a Ferris wheel ensured there was plenty of choice for the younger visitors.
I thoroughly enjoyed this year's Pub in the Park and am already looking forward to the next one! If you want to be kept up-to-date on next year's event, you can sign up for the newsletter at pubintheparkuk.com/sign-up.
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