What does that taste like? – Taste of London

Taste of London returns this year which is a definitive showcase of the capital’s best restaurants, top chefs and leading food and drink brands.

But what is Taste?

Taste is an ultimate food lovers festival.  It occurs twice a year with their flagship which pops up in the summer in the stunning grounds of Regent’s Park in June for 5 days. Taste of London brings together the greatest and most exciting restaurants from London all into one space.  Guests will get to taste signature dishes, watch world-class chefs cook up a storm live on stage, listen to live bands, drink drinks from known London bars and there is even opportunities to get hands-on with interactive masterclasses and shop from an array of food and drink purveyors.

Taste also returns in November for 4 days with it’s festive edition Taste of Christmas which is held in the stunning Tobacco Docks. This festival is transformed into a foodie wonderland brimming with London’s tastiest food, festive tipples, fantastic chef line-ups, loads of masterclasses to get involved with and plenty of food and drink purveyors to set you up for Christmas.

Taste of London 2018

I always visit Taste of London as to me it is one of the best foodie festivals that pop ups in London. I had the pleasure to attend on a complimentary basis to blog about it with my best friend Steve on Saturday 15 June. Plus Regina had the pleasure to attend a media masterclass on Thursday 13 June along with her friend.

Food glorious food

Like per usual at Taste of London there was a great range of food to taste from many top restaurants which are mainly located within London. Plus there was a wide selection of stalls selling and giving samples of great food which can be bought from all over the UK such as cheeses, biscuits, cakes etc.

I did not purchase any meals this time around from any of the the restaurants which were being showcased at Taste of London.  I was highly impressed though by the range that had popped up especially this one The Fire Pit.

Just looked amazing and was entertaining to watch.

The VIP tent

I also noticed at this years Taste that the VIP section had gotten a lot larger and even had some igloo pods within the area so it looked much more appealing and tempting to enter but alas I did not have VIP tickets.

The food and drink stands

There are so many food and drink stands it is hard not to walk away from Taste without purchasing something to take back home be it a lump of cheese or even a bottle of drink.

My personal favourites which I was very happy to see had popped up at Taste and they are Happy Mallows.  They are the most delicious marshmallows you can ever have.  Seriously if you don’t like marshmallows I highly recommend you think again as if you eat one of their marshmallows your mind will be changed.  Their marshmallows are so soft, sweet and gooey inside (depending what flavour you choose) you will be yearning for more.  I especially love the Raspberry and White Chocolate one and the Lively Lemon Meringue Pie.

Plus my other favourite sweet treat was there also and that was Pots & Co. If you love mousse type desserts then you will love these.  With so many flavours to choose from you will be torn for choice.  I also attended their pop up in London Soho the other week as that is how much I love them.  Check out my blog on their pop up by clicking here.

Now onto some stands which took my fancy. So I went over to taste what they had to offer.

The Sauce Shop sauces truly were heavenly as tasted really fresh and was very tasty.  Plus most of them have won Great Taste awards.  There motto is “No Junk, Real Flavour”.

Fitch Brew Co is coffee in a can. Now I don’t like coffee but I thought I would give it a go.  Wow I was highly surprised by their cold coffee in the can.  All the flavours came through from the lemon to the orange flavoured ones.  I was instantly hooked and converted.  If I ever see these for sale anywhere I most certainly buy one, two or maybe even the whole shelf.  I am hooked.

Masterclass

Regina went along on Thursday night to one of the special Masterclass’s for media only which she got to watch some amazing chefs. She loved it.  Read her piece below:

The Grana Padano PDO cheese and Prosecco DOC tasting put an Italian twist on the Taste of London this year.

Hosted in a beautiful booth by the entrance, guests enjoyed facts about cheese and prosecco while tasting various flavour creations including risotto and a number of cheeses.

The cooking demonstrations were lively and interactive, teaching the audience about different textures and facts about cheeses (including how many degrees of Grand Padano PDO cheese ripening there are and how many types of Prosecco DOC).

With three rounds of pairings, each Prosecco had a unique flavour that complimented the dishes. (We even got to enjoy a delicious Italian dessert at the end of the master class!)

The contrasting flavours were absolutely delicious. They combined traditional dishes with a contemporary twist.

Highly recommend buying a bottle of Prosecco DOC and hosting your own cheese party.

Plus this was her first time at Taste of London and she was really impressed by the amount of stands that she could taste food from or even buy samples of dishes which top restaurants provide in London.

Verdict

Personally for me even though I enjoyed my time at Taste of London feel like it was slightly smaller and the main celebrity chef and Michelin starred chefs I feel is going away from Taste as for example my favourite chefs Theo Randall and Gordan Ramsay didn’t have any of their restaurants popping up anymore at Taste of London which is a shame.

However though if you have never been like Regina who loved it and really want a better insight of what London can offer food wise or you are curious about the wonderful food related produce which you can buy from all over the UK then I highly recommend Taste of London as it is a food lovers dream.

“Food glorious food and drink of course”

To find out more ab out Taste and upcoming festivals click here.

Written by Joanne & Regina 

 

Thank you to Taste for letting me and Regina of Love Pop Ups London come down with our friends to experience a gastronomic experience. The tickets were complimentary but all views are of our own honest opinions.