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Five June events in Suffolk




Summer’s nearly here and the calendar’s filling up with events. Here’s some coming up in June you don’t want to miss.

Taste of East Anglia Food and Drink Festival, Kentwell Hall, June 15, 10am-5pm

Eighty stalls will be filling the grounds of Kentwell Hall selling a range of quality produce including local meats, freshly baked sourdough and breads, cakes and pies, locally grown fruit, locally distilled Suffolk gins and craft ales, beautiful brownies and traybakes, Suffolk jams, marinades and sauces, plus vegan pastries.

The main kitchen theatre will have an amazing line-up of some of the region’s very best chefs and artisan producers on stage, plus there will be butchery masterclasses and baking demos too.

The Taste of East Anglia food and drink festival takes place at Kentwell Hall
The Taste of East Anglia food and drink festival takes place at Kentwell Hall

Making his debut on the stage will be the executive chef now leading the kitchen at The Bildeston Crown, Freddie Fallon, who joined the business last year having set up restaurants in London.

Labelled by The Good Food Guide as the `chef to watch’, James Carn – owner and chef of Lark restaurant in Bury St Edmunds - makes a return to the stage, and another award winner, Alan Paton, who won the Sausage Rolloff this year, will be showing off his award-winning black pudding Battenberg sausage roll, and handing out tasters.

Woosters will once again be at the Taste of East Anglia food and drink festival
Woosters will once again be at the Taste of East Anglia food and drink festival

Father and son combination Will and Simon Wooster will be back to give insights into baking the best breads at home, plus the festival theatre will also be showcasing the skills of Lee Cooper, head chef at Squires at the Bedford Lodge Hotel, Newmarket, and Sam Sturman, former Suffolk Chef of the year and now head chef at The Bull at Troston. Greg Strolenberg, of Lavenham Butchers, will show off his butchery skills as he demonstrates the nutritional values of locally sourced muntjac.

To keep your tummies from rumbling, visitors can tuck into a range of street food, plus local craft ale and Suffolk gin to wash it down with.

Add in a selection of craft stalls, music and children's activities, there's something for all the family to enjoy.

Tickets are £6 adults, under 17s free available from www.tasteofeastanglia.co.uk

Dragon Fest, West Stow Country Park and Anglo Saxon Village, June 22 and 23, 11am-4pm

Meet dragons, dinosaurs, creatures and characters at the ever popular Dragon Fest.

There's plenty of family fun to be had with entertainment from Bring Out Your Dead Productions and Rattlebox Theatre Company, and meet and pet the dragons as they roam around the village.

Dragon Fest at West Stow Country Park and Anglo Saxon Village
Dragon Fest at West Stow Country Park and Anglo Saxon Village

There will also be arts and crafts, a circus skills workshop, storytelling, face painting, axe throwing and archery, wellbeing sessions, food and drink, and live music from buskers and bands.

Families can save £18 by booking in advance. Advance booking closes at midday on June 14. Suitable for ages 3+, under fives free.

See www.whatsonwestsuffolk.co.uk/whats-on

Sir Tom Jones appears in the Forest Live series this year
Sir Tom Jones appears in the Forest Live series this year

Forest Live, High Lodge, Thetford Forest, June 20, 22, 27, 28, 30

There's a great line-up for this year's Forest Live series in this beautiful woodland setting. First up on June 20 is Bryan Adams, followed on June 22 by Sting, then Paloma Faith takes to the forest stage on June 27, with Tom Jones hot on her heels on June 28, and finally, Olly Murs brings the series to a close on June 30.

See www.forestryengland.uk/music

Bury St Edmunds Folk Festival, Walled Garden, Newton Park, Bury St Edmunds, June 29

The family-friendly one-day festival sets up once again in the Walled Garden of Nowton Park in Bury St Edmunds on June 29 with a superb lineup, including headliner Reg Meuross and East Anglian up-and-comer Fraser Morgan.

Bury Folk Festival 2023. Picture: Bury Folk Festival
Bury Folk Festival 2023. Picture: Bury Folk Festival

Early Bird tickets are now on sale for the festival, which will feature three music stages and stalls offering local food, drinks (including real ales), and artisanal wares.
Ideal for families, it has dedicated children’s activities and a safe, welcoming atmosphere. Under-16 tickets are discounted, and under-12s can attend for free.

For more information and tickets, see www.buryfolkfestival.co.uk

The Hidden Gardens of Bury St Edmunds, June 30

Householders of the town will be opening their garden gates to visitors between 11am and 5pm and raising funds for St Nicholas Hospice Care.

The Bury St Edmunds hidden garden event, raising money for St Nicholas Hospice Care
The Bury St Edmunds hidden garden event, raising money for St Nicholas Hospice Care

Around 30, all within walking distance of the town centre, will be open - some well-established, some new and some in between.

Be inspired, snaffle a few ideas or simply enjoy and admire.

Tickets cost £7, under 16s free.

See www.stnicholashospice.org.uk