There are tons of talks, demos and tours happening at the festival next weekend, Saturday and Sunday, 16th and 17th September at Forde Abbey. See below for details. Not got your tickets yet? Advanced tickets are still available for just £10 here
An Apple a Day…
There’s a bumper apple crop of apples at our Harvest Fest at Forde Abbey this September, featuring in apple-pressing, cider-making and apple idents, apple juice and apple-based delicacies. The Pomona Press (pictured) is here both days, making juice you can buy and can take home. You can even bring your own apples in and get them …
Topiary Trimming Demos with Jake Hobson
Jake Hobson, founder of Niwaki, Dorset importer of tripod ladders and fine pruning tools from Japan, is joining us at Forde Abbey to demonstrate topiary trimming. Jake, who trained as a sculptor at the Slade School of Fine Art in London, now creates living sculpture from plants and favours a style of more natural style of …
Fermented Vegetables – A Great Way to Preserve Veg and Kill a Sweet Tooth?
The latest trend for fermenting vegetables may be more than just a good way to keep them fresh and full of nutrients. According to Somerset-based tutor and fermenting advisor to Radio 4’s The Archers, Katie Venner of Tracebridge Sourdough in Wellington, it may also be the best way to cut down on sugar. “Anecdotal evidence from friends and …
Smoke, Cure and Pickle…with Toby’s GardenFest
The Pig near Bath chef Kamil Oseka grew up in a culinary family in Poland. Often cooking at night to avoid attention from Communist police, he learned many skills of preserving and pickling. Whole pigs were purchased and cooked, preserved or smoked in various manners to last as long as possible. Living on his grandparents small …
New: Jam and Pickle Surgery
If you’ve ever got into a pickle while making preserves, or found yourself in a jam with your jams, help is at hand at Toby’s Garden & Harvest Festival! Amongst the many talented makers and producers at the show is Antonia Mottola, owner of Somerset-based jam producer Bunnies Love. Antonia is running a Pickle & …
Savour the Local Flavours at the Fest
Foodies can look forward to a feast of flavours at Toby’s Garden & Harvest Fest this September. There’s a host of local artisan food and drink producers coming along to the fest at Forde Abbey, including jam, pickles and preserves, traditional loaves, wine, cider and gin makers, plus daily demo’s on how to cook, cure, smoke and ferment your harvest. You …
Get Crafty at the Festival
Free your inner artist and join us for a Nature Craft workshop on 16th and 17th September at Forde Abbey and have a go at making fairy houses, magical boats and natural sculptures all fashioned from found and foraged materials from woodland, hedgerow and seashore. Run by Naomi Vincent of Devon-based NatureMake, sessions are aimed at children …
Natural Dyes with Flora Arbuthnott
Flora Arbuthnott, printmaker, forager, and natural dyer joins us at Toby’s Garden & Harvest Festival to give a workshop on making natural dyes from plants. We asked Flora to tell us a little about herself and the art of natural dyeing: “I am inspired by wild plants and natural forms. Being in nature is an …
Do it like Poldark: Learn to Scythe at Toby’s Garden & Harvest Festival
Fans of Aidan Turner will be pleased to know that scything is to feature as one of the many harvest demo’s running at Toby’s Garden & Harvest Festival this autumn. Hosted by Dorset-based scythe trainer Chris Riley of Pratensis Countryside Services, the demo’s will show how to manage long grass areas and wildflower meadows using …