Fun & Food at Devizes Food & Drink Festival’s Market

Crowds gathered in Devizes Market Place today, for the pushed back grand market and street food festival, all part of the fantastic Devizes Food & Drink Festival, a fabulous start to the series of events happening over the coming fortnight. It’s been a great success, most events sold out already, but as this is a freebie provided by the organisers for many townsfolk it’s considered the icing on the cake, pardon the pun!

I’ve always enjoyed this day, food and festival being two of my favourite things and to combine them is music to my ears; this year’s was no exception. It was the usual bustle of stalls either selling street food, drink or things to take home. Yet the operative word is usual. Perhaps it being later in the year due to obvious circumstances, but I felt stalls were lesser this year compared to previous ones, and, more importantly, there was nothing which hadn’t appeared before.

Gin was the order of the day, drinks wise, and predictably Wadworth sold the ale, Rutts Lane brought the cider, the ever-popular Cosy Kitchen attended with their fantastic gyros, but all these are stable elements to the market, including the Chinese food stall, bratwursts and Coal’s smoky barbeque, the latter of which rustled me up one darn fine lamb & mint burger. The previous year had more choice, the baozi stall so popular in the past wasn’t there, neither was a number of others. I recall with fondness innovative stalls, such as the guy selling ravioli, because it’s a rare thing to have as a street food, and that is what makes the market interesting.

The Gourmet Brownie Kitchen being something I was looking forward to, (to take home for the kids you understand!) but from Poulshot Lodge, only Holychocs attended, fabulous though they are. Likewise, last time the Muck & Dundar mobile bar stole the show for me, but their absence wasn’t missed, as I wandered down the Brittox for a quick rum from their new bar, which was just what the doctor ordered!

Another unpreventable shame being Daydream Runaways had to pull out of playing some music, due to frontman Ben having lost his voice. Agreed Frome’s eclectic-influenced folk four-piece, The Decades made for the perfect entertainment, but again, they were the same band which played there in 2019.

I’m sorry to be the burden of bad news, though tis but a niggle, but as great as it was, it felt “samey.” I do hope next year’s will provide some different stalls, be progressive, as the amazing effort which goes into organising such a fantastic annual event on our calendar thoroughly deserves it.

We should though, consider the market is only a small part of the overall Devizes Food & Drink Festival, and there’s many other events still to come, from craft cider making to teddy bear’s picnics, and at the end of it all, the grand finale being The World Food event, free at the Corn Exchange on Sunday 3rd October from 12.30. There you can explore the globe on a plate. An event for all the family, where local residents with far flung roots invite you to sample a family favourite from their homeland. Basically, you get little taster portions for 50p a pop. Such a novel idea, and wonderful way to end the festival, one I’ve not yet tried, so I’m certain it will re-raise the bar.

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