This summer Tunbridge Wells will be treated to a three-day festival of gastro goodies, live music and appearances from some of the country’s finest chefs and musicians courtesy of Tom Kerridge’s Pub in the Park.
Currently the Michelin star chef, TV personality and best-selling author is juggling the promotion of Pub in the Park, a type of gastro and grooves event happening in Dunorlan Park this July, alongside the running of his two Michelin star pub The Hand and Flowers and also The Coach, both in Marlow, Buckinghamshire.
‘We’re so excited about it,’ he says. ‘We kicked it off last year in Marlow and the idea behind it was to celebrate ten years of The Hand and Flowers. But it took so long to organise the pub ended up being almost 13 years old!’
This way he says the public could experience a taste of these famous culinary offerings without having to pay a fortune or sit on a long, often exclusive waiting list. The likes of Benares’ Atul Kochhar, Paul Ainsworth from No 6 in Padstow and Chris and Jeff Galvin who run a number of prestigious eateries in London were all present last year.
The success of Pub in the Park Marlow, which also showcased the delicious wares of local artisan producers as well as independent pubs and restaurants, was what gave Tom the inspiration to roll it out across the country this year.
‘We didn’t want to make the Marlow one any bigger so we looked around the country and found some places that we thought had a similar feel.’ They chose Knutsford, Bath and of course Tunbridge Wells. What made our town a good choice?
‘It’s a beautiful place but it also supports its community’s local businesses and independent restaurants and producers – and Kent is amazing! We call it the Garden of England for good reason but there’s its incredible coastline too so it seemed like the perfect option. We can’t wait to come here and we know Tunbridge Wells will love it. I’ve got some great friends down here.’
These include the Tanner brothers of the Kentish Hare in Bidborough, Steve Harris of The Sportsman in Whistable and Mark Sergeant who runs The Wife of Bath in Wye.
Tom and his team will be bringing pop-up versions of The Coach and The Hand and Flowers pub, the only one in the UK to have two Michelin stars, to the event which runs from July 6 to to 8. In addition to all this there will also be guest appearances from the likes of top chef Angela Hartnett MBE and former Great British Bake Off winner Candice Brown.
But as well as bringing out the big gastro guns they also want to ensure they attract the area’s best pubs, restaurants and suppliers to exhibit, too.
‘They’re another key reason as to why we are doing this. It’s not just about having a party with all my chef mates in the park and cooking up some great food and listening to music, we also want to shine the spotlight on smaller enterprises and independents to help them get a foothold and show what they do. Pub in the Park is an opportunity for them to showcase themselves to the general public.’
Tom, who would love the event to become an annual one, is clearly passionate about the exposure it gives people not to mention the good time enjoyed by the visitors.
‘From our point of view everything about the festival has to feel like it’s from the heart and is real. Ninety per cent of those who did Marlow last year signed up to do it again that weekend. The feedback from those who exhibited and attended was great. People were able to walk around, sample first class food for a fiver and directly ask questions about the products’ provenance from the people who make them. The key thing with showing locally is you can create a buzz around something and people then become passionate about it so that when it gets to a wider audience its reputation precedes it.’
To celebrate the launch of theknow and Pub in the Park, Tunbridge Wells in July 2018, we’re giving one lucky person the chance to win two tickets for the opening evening on Friday July 6 2018. You can enter via our Facebook page!
Competition is subject to Terms & Conditions
