Culture: Celebrating good taste at Newmarket's Food and Drink Festival

If you like a tasty treat then Newmarket’s the place to be this weekend as the town hosts its fourth Food and Drink Festival.

Celebrity chef and TV star Rosemary Shrager will lead the foodie line-up at the two-day event, which takes place across Palace Street and the site of the National Heritage Centre.

Free to attend, it ties into the 850-year anniversary celebration of Newmarket’s Market Charter.

Visitors will have the chance to sample and buy food and drink from the many local produce stalls, as well as enjoy the culinary delights of street food vendors.

And if you feel you need a little inspiration in the kitchen, chefs from the region’s top restaurants – including The Tamburlaine Hotel, Cambridge; The Bedford Lodge Hotel & Spa, Newmarket; and The Tackroom, Newmarket – will be showing you just how it should be done.

Rosemary, of School for Cooks and Soapstar Superchef, will take to the stage on Saturday to showcase her talent as a versatile chef and cookery teacher.

With more than a decade in broadcasting and teaching, she is probably best known for her role as haute cuisine teacher on reality TV programme Ladette to Lady.

As well as the food, there’s also live music to enjoy in the Palace House garden, provided by local acts.

Throughout the weekend, visitors will also get the chance to explore the National Heritage Centre for Horseracing and Sporting Art as it hosts its ‘Find out for a Fiver’ promotion. This discounted rate will give you the chance to explore the history of horseracing, meet former racehorses, have a go on a racing simulator and admire artwork of national importance.

Tickets can be bought in advance by calling 01638 667314 quoting FOODFESTIVAL or pop into reception on the day.

Proceeds from the festival will go to Racing Welfare’s Newmarket Housing Project, the National Heritage Centre for Horseracing and Sporting Art at Palace House, Newmarket, Newmarket Day Centre and Newmarket Academy’s social mobility fund.

The festival is open 11am-6pm on Saturday and 11am-5pm on Sunday. For more information, visit newmarketfoodanddrink.co.uk.