Sheffield Food Festival, Sheffield Wine Festival and Sheffield Coffee Festival - all coming to the city

The fun kicks off this weekend with Sheffield Wine Festival held at the Crowne Plaza Royal Victoria Hotel near Victoria Quays on Saturday, May 28, from 10am to 8pm.

Organised by The Wine College, visitors can expect wine tasting and experts will be on hand to offer advice and tips.

The main host will be Octavian ‘Tavi’ Vasilescu, who was born in Transylvania and is proud to say that his passion for wine and food came from his grandfather.

With training in Milan, Harrogate and Leeds, Tavi’s experience in wine experience stretches across almost 20 years.

To book tickets visit https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/sheffield-wine-festival-tickets-231077658497

In addition, an event to celebrate Sheffield coffee makers is being held in the city this weekend.

Hundreds of people with a passion for speciality roasts are set to descend on the city for the second annual Sheffield Coffee Festival on Saturday, May 28, and Sunday, May 29.

There will be a whole host of citywide events taking place across multiple venues including tasting rooms, talks and brewing workshops.

This includes the Northern Filter Championships which will see baristas compete to brew the best cup of coffee.

On the festival website, organisers said: “We feel by making this multi-venue, the festival does not detract from independent business, but rather celebrates coffee at the customers core, in the shops that people adore and trust.

"It will also garner nationwide attraction and capital back to the coffee shops that have made us feel so welcome, which they fully deserve after the nightmares of the past few years.”

For more information about the festival and for tickets visit https://www.sheffieldcoffeefestival.com/

One of the key events of the festival will be held at Marmadukes in the city centre on Saturday from 4pm to 8pm.

Members of the public are invited along to enjoy an ‘evening celebrating coffee with an espresso martini or two, delicious Marms nibbles and cake, live music and DJs’.

All proceeds will be going to the charity Hope & Homes for Children, which carries out vital work to ensure the safety of thousands of children in Ukraine.

Entry to Marmadukes is £20 and to book visit https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/marmadukes-x-sheffield-coffee-festival-tickets-336491965527

And last - but by no means least – the annual Sheffield Food Festival returns next week.

A variety of food will be on offer at the market style event which takes place across the Peace Gardens, Winter Gardens, Millennium Square, Town Hall Square and Pinstone Street.

As many as 50, 000 visitors are expected to descend on the city centre to enjoy a ‘royal-themed’ festival this year to coincide with the The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Bank Holiday Weekend from June 2 to 5 between 10am and 6pm daily.

Fourth generation farmer Stephen Thompson, of Sheffield’s award-winning Moss Valley Fine Meats, said the festival is a welcome way to meet customers face to face.

He said: “I don’t think we’ve missed a Sheffield Food Festival yet! It has grown and grown and it is great because we get a lot of customers that come to see us having eaten our meat in restaurants or at home.”

Stephen added: “The festival brings a lot of people to Sheffield and teaches them about what local food is, what the producers are trying to do.

“It’s a good thing, people are getting more involved now in where their food comes from which is going to be more and more important.”

The irresistible smell of sizzling premium bacon, black pudding and sausages always brings in crowds to the Moss Valley stand.

Drinks trader the Locksley Distilling Co Ltd is gearing up to mark its own tenth anniversary milestone next year.

Started by John Cherry in his parent’s attic back in 2013, the company now has a distillery, runs a gin school and core product the Sir Robin of Locksley gin is as well-known as its legendary outlaw namesake.

Visitors to Sheffield Food Festival this year can taste samples of the versatile sipping gin at the Locksley stall before taking a bottle home.

Co-owner and distiller, Cynthia King, who is also John’s wife, said: “We love the festival. It is great to be on our home turf with lots of friendly faces.”

Recently the team have collaborated with exciting Sheffield food businesses on different products, from recipes at Rafters fine dining restaurant to a special gin for The Crucible Theatre’s 50th anniversary.

Cynthia added: “At the festival we will have our core range but also one or two of the collaborative products as well. We do get festival regulars – people come up and say they were hoping to see us and ask if we have anything new to try.”

While 90 per cent of traders at Sheffield Food Festival are local, the buzzing atmosphere means some businesses travel for the occasion each year.

The team behind Gurdev’s Indian Street Food make the 180 mile return journey from Birmingham on every day of the festival.

Yourap Singh, owner of the five-year-old family business, said: “We have been coming to Sheffield Food Festival for quite a few years now.

“That’s because it is very multicultural, with different cuisines, and very well organised. We do all sorts of events up and down the country but this is one of our favourites.”

Gurdevs, named after Yourap’s eldest son, serves authentic Punjabi food.

Some of its most popular dishes include samosa chaat and chicken tikka naan, as well as vegan, vegetarian and gluten free options.

The event is free to attend and for more details visit https://sheffieldfoodfestival.co.uk/