New Forest Food Festival

Held each August across a Saturday and Sunday at the Hinton Admiral Events Field in Hampshire, the New Forest Food Festival bills itself as the perfect family festival, and its programme backs that up: a genuinely broad spread of food, craft and live entertainment set on the grounds of the Hinton Admiral Estate, part of the wider Meyrick Group of Hampshire and Dorset countryside businesses.

The festival's food pop-ups cover an enormous range, from burgers, Tex-Mex and stone-baked pizza to street food, traditional spit roasts and fresh seafood, alongside artisan coffee, craft beers and award-winning spirits. A separate artisan market showcases local and regional producers with bread, cheese, chilli jams, cakes, chocolates and gluten-free treats, while a craft market runs alongside it with textiles, jewellery, woodwork, ceramics and other handmade goods from the region's makers. A main stage runs live music from local musicians throughout the weekend, and a dedicated family-friendly programme keeps children entertained so the adults can relax with the food and drink.

Well-behaved dogs on leads are welcome across the grounds, though not inside the food marquees themselves, and the festival also offers on-site camping and stays for visitors wanting to make a full weekend of it at the edge of one of England's most distinctive landscapes.