This month sees the return of Bournemouth’s very own Food and Drink Festival, where for ten days the town will come alive to the smell of cooking, with foodie events to whet the appetite and inspire your inner chef.

Having grown from a small three-day trial the festival organisers are promising a foodie event to remember.

Bournemouth Square will become the Festival Hub from June 21-June 30, with a ten day Street Food Festival, a three day World Food Market, a Mediterranean Day, a Trinidad and Tobago Caribbean Day, a Far East Day, a four day Education Zone in partnership with Bournemouth and Poole College alongside eight Bournemouth Schools, The Dorset Best Bloody Mary Competition in association with the Bournemouth Bartenders League, a farmers and producers’ market, and a demonstration kitchen.

Roger Parker, Town Centre Manager for Bournemouth Tourism said: “Bournemouth is the shop window for the entire county of Dorset and the immediate hinterland. We have a unique opportunity to present the very best of Dorset to our resident population and the millions of visitors who visit the town each year. This has a double advantage, it provides a great experience for the visitor and a ready market for the producer.

“Everybody has to eat, so why not indulge in the array and quality of what our local producers can bring to the town centre – events like this can turn you on to a new type of cooking, new flavours and new places to go and eat and experience.

“I like the chefs’ demonstrations – to see a master craftsman at work is delightful, and you can pick up some really good tips from just watching what’s going on. To have activity and entertainment taking place throughout the day and into the evening is especially important. These are some of the longest days in the year, how splendid to be able to spend time in a lovely environment and have ready access to sustenance and entertainment till late, exactly what the town needs.”

Other events will be held around the town including The Barons of Beef Festival Launch Event hosted by the Bournemouth Chamber of Trade and Commerce, a Soul Food and Music event at the Triangle, festival menus at some of Bournemouth best eateries, a food quiz at Flirt Cafe, and loads of discounted offers at hostels and restaurants to keep everyone eating and enjoying themselves.

Bournemouth Chamber of Trade and Commerce president Nigel Hedges said: “The Bournemouth Food and Drink Festival increases footfall and interest in the town centre, attracting back people who we have been missing over the years. The Festival shows Bournemouth is open for businesses and its links with education and the local hotel industry shows Bournemouth what it is best at.

“I’m looking forward to exciting my palate, you can sample all sorts of nibbles, it’s a gastronomic journey.”

The festival is open to everyone.

  • The Bournemouth Food & Drink Festival is on 21-30 June. See bournemouthfoodanddrink.co.uk A new Artisan Market launches this month at The Triangle, Bournemouth. It is open the first Saturday of every month from June to October, 9am-5pm. Farmers Market meets Arts Fair, Bournemouth's new Artisan Market will transform The Triangle into a creative zone featuring everything from Artisan Bread to Driftwood Art.

Festival highlights

Mediterranean Day: Friday, 21 June, 12 noon-9pm, Bournemouth Square.

Street Food Festival: Friday 21-30 June, 10am-10pm, Bournemouth Square. Open every day of the festival, this is your chance to dine in the open sampling food from some of Bournemouth’s best restaurants and hotels. This year we have also invited some of the country’s best Street Food Traders to join in on the fun. So whether you are popping out for a lunch time snack or watching one of our cooking demos you will be sure to find something to satisfy your appetite.

World Food Market: Friday 21-23 June, 10am-6pm. A market featuring food and drink from around the world. This will form part of our three day celebration of international food and culture.

Caribbean Day: Saturday 22 June, noon-9pm, Bournemouth Square. A day celebrating the very best of Caribbean Food, Culture and Fashion, with a dedicated kitchen offering traditional Caribbean Dishes, a Masquerade Parade, live Steel Pan Music and Folklore Story Telling.

Far East Day: Sunday, 23 June, noon-9pm, Bournemouth Square.

Farmers and Producers Market: Friday 28 – Sunday 30 June, 10am-6pm, Bournemouth Square. A three day market featuring farmers and producers from across Dorset, Hampshire and The New Forest.

Cooking Demo: Joe Sexton – Friday 28 June, 3pm-4pm, Bournemouth Square. Join Joe as he makes his South Coast debut, cooking healthy food that tastes amazing. If it’s boring, bland or tasteless, it’s not on his menu.

Cooking Demo: Saturday 29, 1pm-2pm, Bournemouth Square. Matthew Budden – Bournemouth Highcliff Marriott Hotel Cooking Demo: Saturday 29, Andy Chu – 2pm-3pm. Taking oriental cooking to the next level Andy will use his captivating style to show you how to make a delicious mango and smoked mackerel salad, mixed vegetable in chilli bean sauce and a chicken chow mein.

Soul Food: Sunday 30 June, The Triangle, 10am-8pm. A day of soul music and food from the deep south, organised in conjunction with Flirt Cafe

Cooking Demo: Sunday 30 June, 1pm-2pm, Bournemouth Square Des Burke – Flavours School of Cookery

Cooking Demo: Sunday 30 June, 2pm-3pm, Bournemouth Square Matthew Cook – Fish Face Events