Food

Bad waiters, bum tables, little rip-offs, big cons, old fish, cheap meat, yesterday’s soup and tomorrow’s gastroenteritis… The splenetic humorist tells us how to avoid the lot, and even come out of it with free champagne and a dish named after you by way of apology.

This year’s foodie conversation given in the name of the River Café founder features her daughter, the chef and head gardener at the Michelin-starred Petersham Nurseries Café. Her cooking and gardening experience has guided Lucy throughout her 8-year partnership with award-winning chef Skye Gyngell and nurtured a fascination for Italian vegetables and salads, herbs and edible flowers.

The presentation of the 2013 Michael Ramsey Prize for theological writing, hosted by the former Archbishop of Canterbury and the Director of the British Museum.

Come and quiz the Waitrose MD on food and farming, ethical and essential consumption, competition, partnership and price. Chaired by the business editor of The Telegraph.

For a number of years The Parson and The Publican have travelled the highways and byways in search of refreshment for body and soul. With many years between them of accumulated wisdom on matters pertaining to pew and pump it was but a short step to committing their experiences to print. The authors have scoured Worcestershire, Herefordshire and The Wye Valley to amass these tales, which are delightfully illustrated with watercolour sketches from the brush of the Publican. Some of the places in their delightful book are well known, while others are more obscure but, never discouraged, our plucky pilgrims get out the map, freely exchange opinions and then do precisely what the driver wishes. Not for them the wonders of the 'Sat Nag'. Rather, instinct and an unwavering nose for musty hassocks, malted barley or fermented apple juice draws them ever onwards.

The chef patron of Hix Oyster and Chop House and Hix Oyster and Fish House in Dorset, conjures anything that can be cooked in the dry heat of an oven, from a honey-baked ham to a sophisticated saffron custard tart.

A rare opportunity to meet the Californian food superstar, author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma, In Defence Of Food and Food Rules, as he champions the fundamentals of cooking – a defining human activity which sits at the heart of our cultures and shapes family life.

The gardening historian and travel writer embarks on extraordinary journeys through Italy, exploring the curious past and present of citrus fruit, uncovering the origins of the Mafia among Sicily’s lemon groves and meeting Orthodox Jewish citron merchants in Calabria.

The creators of Moro, who trained under Rose at The River Café, demonstrate and discuss their vibrant mezze and tapas food and restaurant with Sarah Crompton.

Food is an important theme in Jane Austen’s novels: it is used as a commodity for showing off, as a way of showing kindliness among neighbours, as part of the dynamics of family life, and – of course – for comic effect. Dinner With Mr Darcy takes authentic recipes from the period, inspired by the food that features in Austen’s novels and letters, and adapts them for contemporary cooks.

The peerless connoisseur and wine writer, author of Hugh Johnson’s Pocket Wine Book and co-author of The World Atlas of Wine,savours his craft and tastes and introduces Royal Tokaji.

Bread, chocolate and pasta are year-round comfort foods. Meet an artisan baker, a chocolatier and a Welsh-Italian cook who set up family food businesses, and learn how you can do the same from your kitchen table. Chaired by former Country Living Deputy Editor Kitty Corrigan.

A gloriously indulgent celebration of our Great British love affair with sweet-making and good old-fashioned confectionery. From peardrops to humbugs, honeycomb confections to liquorice, coconut ice to sugar mice, Nozedar gives us the rich history of these classic sweets along with over fifty easy-to-follow recipes for how to make them at home.

There will be a vodka sherbet tasting at this event.

The extraordinary story of Mary’s Meals: after watching a news bulletin about war-torn Bosnia, two brothers agreed to take a week’s hiatus from work to help. What neither of them expected is that what began as a one-off road trip in a beaten-up Land Rover rapidly grew to become Magnus’s life’s work – leading him to leave his job, sell his house and direct all his efforts into feeding thousands of the world’s poorest children. He talks to Sarah Crompton.

Many of our own gardens contain an abundance of edible and medicinal plants, grown mainly for their ornamental appearance. Most gardeners are completely unaware that what they have actually planted is a rather exotic kitchen garden. The Garden Forager explores some of the most popular garden plants that have edible, medicinal or even cosmetic potential. Nozedar’s recipes and remedies are exquisitely illustrated in watercolours by Lizzie Harper. She talks while Harper illustrates live.

An hour of beer tasting with one of Britain’s most entertaining connoisseurs.

The author of Let Me Tell You About Beer is living the beer dream. Not only does she write extensively about the world's favourite drink, she also works with chefs to create beer and food extravaganzas in venues as diverse as Michelin-starred restaurants to local pubs, and is invited to judge at beer competitions from London to Brussels and Amsterdam to America.

Her reputation for having a fine palate and fun approach to all things brewed also translates to actually making beer, and some of her collaborative beers have gone on to become huge successes for the breweries Melissa made them with, never profiting herself.

Known throughout the world for his phenomenal palate, irreverent style, accurate predictions and enthusiasm for life in general and wine in particular, Oz Clarke is Britain’s most popular wine writer. His latest book is The History of Wine in 100 Bottles.

We look at the future of farming in Britain and ask what ‘better’ might look like: better for farmers, better for people who need food. What are the issues that matter most? Diversification, ‘big-agri’ ownership, the relationship with supermarkets, the mental health of the people who work the land, the land itself or the quality of produce? Hughes is the National Trust's General Manager for Pembrokeshire, overseeing more than 30 tenanted farms, Blackmore (Harper Adams) specialises in farm engineering, Boycott is Food Advisor to the Mayor of London and Carrington is a young farmer from Hereford.

There are moments in our lives, and throughout the year, when we come together with our friends and family, and food plays a huge part in turning these moments into something special. Traditionally, many of these occasions call for meat – whether it’s roast beef for Sunday lunch, or burgers at a BBQ – but Mary wants to show us that vegetarian cooking can be just as celebratory and special.

* The Relish Festival Restaurant will be serving a vegetarian feast from the cookbook from 8.30pm. To book call Relish on 01285 658 444.