ThameNews.Net

27/09/11....Thame still glowing after 'wonderful' food festival (includes raffle prize winners) -

RAYMOND BLANC, celebrity guest at Thame Food Festival: "All of these villages are coloured with this wonderful food and drink festival. A whole community here is coming to the Festival, celebrating; connecting with food and just having fun."

The organisers behind the growing success of Thame's food festival, having recovered from all their hardwork, have today issued a big 'Thank You' to demonstrators, stall-holders, volunteers and others that made the day such a glorious success:

Their statement says: "Thame Food Festival was undoubtedly a staggering success. Now in its fourth year, the Festival is growing and growing with nearly twice as many exhibitors on show this year and amazing support from thousands of local people and visitors from afar. Crowds were huge and the town centre was full to capacity.

"Festival Patron, Lotte Duncan, sold over 700 cakes at her stall as well as hosting a great cooking demo in the main kitchen area, and appearing at the Aga shop. 'What a day! I was asleep within minutes of getting home!'she told us afterwards."

Celebrity guest chefs in the main demo kitchen in Montesson Square included Mark Peregrine and Adam Johnson from Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, Steve Love and Ian Craddock from head sponsors, McCormick Schwartz, Giancarlo & Katie Caldesi, Matt Thackwray and Liz Panter from Cavendish Events, Lotte Duncan, Nigel Rumsey of Rumsey’s Chocolaterie and Cornfield Bakery which has shops in both Thame and Wheatley.

As well as their demo, McCormick Schwartz shared the demo kitchen area handing out free goodie bags and presented a fabulous hamper for the raffle. This was won by Sheila Hoffman of Dobbins Lane, Wendover.

The one-day cookery course at The Rayond Blanc Cookery School, was won by Christine Austin-Crowe of Rosemary Lane, Haddenham, the Fortnum & Mason's hamper by Julie Ewing of East Street, Thame. The dinner party for eight at one of the show homes on the Windmill Road new housing development, donated by David Wilson Homes, was won by Patricia Newbury.

As BBC Oxford said in their TV news report later in the day, there was a "vast array of food and drink on display" and the stallholders included The Chiltern Brewery, Tims Dairy, Daws Hill Vineyard, Merchants of Vino, Le Manoir, Chiltern Natural Foods, I’m Japanese, The Six Bells, What’s Cooking, Mortimer Chocolate, Cavendish Events, Chillis 2 U, Anne’s Kitchen, Time Out Café, Springhill Farm, Oxford Cheese Co, Good Biscuit Co, Bucksum, Cherry Tree Preserves, The Granary Deli, CoolberryCafe, Jack and Glide FM, 2Pound Street and Sandy Lane Farm.

A flash barbershop choir, The Royal Harmonics, kept the crowd entertained after a performance at The Spread Eagle, Thame, complimenting the other local artists playing up by the James Figg beer tent.

As an extension of the festival, tours of Thame's own micro brewery, run by Pete and Trudie Lambert at The Cross Keys, proved very popular.

Yvonne Maxwell, festival director of TAL (Thame Arts & Literature festival) was at the food festival all day promoting Thame's next big day October 14 - 16. “It was a wonderful day. Everyone had smiles on their faces and were obviously thoroughly enjoying themselves,” she said afterwards.

“People turned out in droves. It was phenomenal,” said Sally Dorling of Marketing Foods.

"Wow, what a day we had on Saturday. We were so busy on our stall, we had to bring in more staff to help. Thame Food Festival has so much to offer and it was fantastic to see so many happy, smiling faces in the town, enjoying the renowned Thame hospitality at its very best. Thame Food Festival is the most exciting event of the year and we can't wait for next year." So said Sally Dickinson, of What's cooking, in Cornmarket, Thame.

“Thanks for inviting me. I had a great show,” Daws Hill Vineyard.

“Bet you can’t believe it. It must be twice last year,” David Newman Bucksum.

"A huge ‘THANK YOU’ goes out to SODC's Town Centre Co-ordinator, Alison Isherwood, to all our sponsors, partners, supporters and helpers – too numerous to mention here I’m afraid. This was a fantastic example of the power of positive energy," concluded organiser, Sally Dorling.

NB If you enjoyed the day, why not become involved for 2012? You could book a stall, arrange a doorstep event, sponsor the event and receive promotional coverage, have an idea for a talk, a tasting, a tour or trail, a demonstration?

Contact: Alison Isherwood at: alison.isherwood@southoxon.gov.uk and let the organisers know how you would like to be involved in an event that truly celebrates the best in food and drink.

Follow Thame Food Festival on Twitter @thamefoodfest and on Facebook.