Eat & drink at Hay Festival

From morning coffee to an afternoon pint, from pastries to pizza and cakes to curries, we’ve got you covered. We bring you flavours from Wales and around the world to fuel your day at Hay.

Food for thought

The Festival Canteen offers an abundance of delicious street food to keep you energised. Our focus is on sustainable catering, with plenty of plant-based and gluten-free options. There are child-friendly portions and prices at all Festival food stands.

Thirst quenchers

For a pint of real ale, a glass of wine, Prosecco, or a jug of Pimm’s to enjoy in the sunshine, head to the Festival Bar with its outdoor decked area to soak up some of the Festival atmosphere while you enjoy a drink. There are plenty of soft drink options too.

Time for a brew

Our coffee shops across the site serve delicious Fairtrade coffees and teas as well as cold drinks and a delectable array of cakes, pastries, sandwiches, wraps and salads. You can find them in the main entrance, the Family Garden, the Canteen and on the boardwalk next to the Bookshop.

In a new initiative this year, all our whole milk is being delivered to the site in reusable churns directly from a local farmer, supporting our aim to source local ingredients while further reducing our use of single-use plastic.

Chapter House Café

More than just a pause for a hot drink, Chapter House Café is an invitation to relax, unwind and engage in conversation with fellow festival-goers. Whether you’re seeking a quiet corner to lose yourself in a novel or a lively spot to share stories with friends, you’ll find a warm welcome here.

Reusable Cup System

Our reusable cups and glasses for hot and cold drinks are back this year, boosting our sustainability. We charge a £1 reusable cup fee for your first drink anywhere on the Festival site. Use and reuse your cup, wash it throughout the day at our handy wash stations, then drop it in the return bins as you leave the site. You’re ver y welcome to bring your own reusable cup to the Festival.

Oakchurch Farm Shop

Family owned and run for over 50 years, Oakchurch Farm Shop is a culinary showcase for the county and is often referred to by locals as the ‘Harrods of Herefordshire’. You can experience a taste of Oakchurch on the Festival site as they exhibit some of the best local food and drink producers from their independent suppliers, as well as some holiday essentials. Come along to sample award-winning products and meet and talk to the producers.

Shepherds Ice Cream

Irresistible ice creams, sublime sorbets and divine dairy-free desserts. Shepherds have been making artisan ice cream since 1987, using their unique recipe based on sheep’s milk and plant-based milks. Visit their stall on site, drop in to Shepherds Parlour when you’re in town, or check out the Ice Cream Shop in Abergavenny. Don’t be a lost sheep. Join the flock.

Delicious street food from...

Archie’s Toasties

Our priority is simple: to make the best cheese toasties possible, using the finest local ingredients. At the heart of this is Hobbs House Bakery’s St Martin loaf — a two-day fermented, 62-year-old sourdough recipe with a beautifully flavoursome, soft-yet-chewy texture. We pair this with Lye Cross Farm vintage cheddar, traditionally made since 1952 and produced just 20 food miles from our base in Chipping Sodbury. Every toastie is grilled to order right in front of the customer, ensuring maximum freshness and a lively, engaging atmosphere.

Bab Haus

Bab Haus is an award-winning Welsh street-food brand led by an all-female team, founded by chef Leyli Homayoonfar. Known for bold fire-led cooking and big, vibrant flavours, Bab Haus serves globally inspired street food rooted in smoke, spice and quality Welsh produce. Expect slow-cooked meats, flame-grilled specials, and their cult-favourite tacos — all made with generosity, creativity, and serious flavour. Bab Haus brings the energy of modern street food with the warmth of Welsh hospitality.

Barnaby Sykes Pies

Unfortunately for Barnaby Sykes, his pies were so delicious that the magistrates began to investigate his poaching habits; this led to his untimely end. Luckily for you, his spirit lives on and the pies bearing his name have been delighting people for years since.

The Beefy Boys

The Beefy boys, started out in 2012 as four backyard amateur cooks with a huge love and passion for local produce and American style BBQ and burgers - we are an award winning Herefordshire restaurant and street food traders. We cook fresh to order, and are looking forward to serving our Hay menu this year.

Box Kitchen Pizza

Box Kitchen Pizza serves artisan sourdough woodfired pizza using the finest quality and carefully sourced and seasonal ingredients. Based on an organic farm in Gloucestershire, Box Kitchen Pizza produce and grow as much as possible - from their fresh rocket and basil to their organic slow roasted smoked pulled brisket from the beef herd on the farm. Their slow fermentation dough is hand stretched and cooked to order throughout the day in a traditional woodfired oven using sustainably sourced wood from the farm. With a focus on the seasons, expect wild garlic pesto and charred asparagus specials, delightfully prepared toppings all cooked in the woodfired oven, as well as classic family favourites, plus option for all dietary requirements.

The Fritter Shack

We’re a family-run vegetarian food business from Wales, serving generous plates of fresh, wholesome food. Our cooking is built around variety, colour and flavour, our menu includes vibrant salads, crispy cheddar-topped bakes, garlic dal and our much-loved chilli jam. A typical plate would feature coconut and garlic dal, crispy fritters and a selection of fresh salads, — from carrot and orange with pomegranate to garden greens and slaws, topped with chilli jam. Everything is cooked with care to properly nourish and revitalise.

The Good Slice

Good Slice serves delicious Neapolitan wood-fired pizza. Each dough is hand-stretched for a light, airy crust, topped with San Marzano tomatoes, fior di latte mozzarella and quality produce - including the much-loved Veg Patch - then fired at 500°C in clay ovens. Founded by two friends from the Welsh countryside, Good Slice is a social enterprise with sustainability built in. For every pizza sold, 10p is donated to Glass Door Homeless Charity, alongside pizzaiolo training for people affected by homelessness. Eat good. Do good.

Lalita’s

Lalita’s offers authentic South Indian street food that is delicious, 100% vegan, gluten-free, and ethically produced. We are committed to sustainable sourcing, carefully selecting ingredients that benefit both people and the planet. At Lalita’s, we aim to create lasting memories for attendees through vibrant dishes and warm hospitality. Our specialties—Masala Dosa, Masala Vada, Idli Sambar, Onion Bhaji’s, and Thali’s—are festival favourites, loved for their taste, value, healthiness, and convenience, making them ideal for any event

LOKI POKE

LOKI POKE serves fresh, vibrant poke bowls and rice bowls with Hawaiian and Japanese flavours, all naturally gluten free. Our bowls are made with responsibly sourced fish, fresh veg, pickles, and delicious house-made dressings. Founded in Bristol, we focus on sustainably sourced, well-balanced food that’s full of flavour and made with care. Expect nourishing bowls and quality ingredients that are ethically and locally sourced.

Lola’s

Lola's is a family run fish business that has been a festival favourite for many years. Our focus is on sourcing sustainably and locally where possible. We are passionate about delivering fantastic quality dishes, fish shop favourites and are proud to be 100% gluten free.

MacMan

MacMan is a family-run street food and events catering company established in 2019. MacMan's mission is simple: use only the very best, locally sourced ingredients to create the greatest mac and cheese currently available on the street dining scene. With a host of fresh toppings and sauces as well as incredible mac and cheese - panko crumbed mac bites, mac and cheese-loaded fries.

Suzette’s

Suzette's Crepes will be serving delicious sweet crepes with yummy fillings like Nutella, white chocolate and salted caramel; and savoury galettes made with organic buckwheat flour. We offer dairy and gluten free, and vegetarian and vegan options and kids portions. We will also be serving coffees (instant); speciality teas, hot chocolates and cold drinks.

Taste Tibet

Taste Tibet is a restaurant and food stall with an award-winning cookbook. Owners Yeshi and Julie, who met in the foothills of the Himalayas, have featured on Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch and BBC1’s Saturday Kitchen. Come for Yeshi’s legendary hand-made momo dumplings and a wide range of hearty Himalayan curries. The stall is nut-free and offers plenty of vegan and gluten-free options.