A gastronomic extravaganza, the National Geographic Traveller (UK) Food Festival in London is a food lover’s paradise that recently celebrated its fourth annual showcase. We look into the highlights of the star-studded event and what to expect for the upcoming year.
EMBARK ON A CULINARY ADVENTURE
After three wildly successful years, the National Geographic Traveller (UK) Food Festival came back to London this summer for the fourth edition of the beloved festival to satiate participants who were increasingly hungry for its return.
Offering an array of culinary tutorials, tasting sessions, live cooking demonstrations, and more, the 2024 event took place at London’s Business Design Centre from 20th-21st July, bringing together food lovers, brands, and industry professionals alike.
Brought to the public by National Geographic Traveller (UK) and Food by National Geographic Traveller (UK), the festival welcomed over 7,000 foodies across two days, offering visitors the chance to experience a world-renowned lineup of international chefs and expert food writers.
The event invited guests to experience the flavours of the world through wine tutorials, food photography workshops, culinary masterclasses, interviews with acclaimed cookbook authors, a vibrant exhibition floor, and countless more opportunities.
With sponsors that included Atavi, Kenwood, Trailfinders, and Laithwaites, the festival was organised by APL Media – publisher of the National Geographic Traveller (UK) titles – and boasted a lineup consisting of some of the most exciting names in modern gastronomy.
Nadiya Hussain, TV chef, bestselling author, and winner of the sixth series of the Great British Bake Off, served as the festival’s headliner and was accompanied over the weekend by a host of big-name food personalities, such as Matt Tebbutt, Ravneet Gill, Theo Randall, Richard Corrigan, Olia Hercule, and Nisha Katona who made her festival debut by preparing her mouthwatering Bengali prawn curry in front of a live audience.
This globetrotting celebration of the world’s most exciting culinary destinations attracted thousands of food connoisseurs, promptly asserting itself as a fixture on the UK festival calendar with its blend of world-class street food, hands-on workshop experiences, and high-profile main stage schedule.
The 2024 edition of the event swifty proved to be an unforgettable adventure, highlighting the marriage of international cuisine and culture through gastronomic innovation, community, and the most time-tested and beloved tradition of all – cooking together in the kitchen.
WATCHING CULINARY MASTERS IN ACTION
When it comes to food, there is nothing better than watching culinary greatness in action.
The festival offered guests the opportunity to watch gastronomic masters at work through its two masterclass theatres, in which chefs showcased some of the world’s most interesting and exciting cuisines via live cooking demonstrations, allowing participants to expand their repertoires and delve further into the culture of each dish and subsequent region.
Secrets of international and exquisite dishes were unlocked through these in-depth tutorials that invited visitors to pull up a seat and uncover techniques and ingredients from some of the most fascinating culinary destinations and even sample some of the finished dishes.
Alongside these masterclass sessions and demonstrations from expert chefs, festivalgoers had the unique opportunity to explore the Marketplace, which offered everything needed to add a splash of taste to a pantry, including chocolate from Pure Rainforest Chocolate, fresh pasta and homemade sauce from Nonna Tonda, fruit and vegetables from Riverford Organic Farmers, Caribbean craft rums courtesy of Kromanti, speciality coffee made with beans from Ngopi, Indonesian sambal pots from Dapur CUK, and much more.
This wealth of international products offered a one-stop shop of artisanal produce and food brands for anyone looking to bring the world’s flavours to their own cupboards.
Tucked away from the boisterous commotion of the festival floor, the Speaker’s Corner provided a platform for food writers and culinary trailblazers to engage in an intimate sit down with hosts Farida Zeynalova and Alex Outhwaite to discuss the success and inspiration behind their latest cookbooks.
These in-demand culinary authors provided listeners with valuable insights into the desirable world of food editing, crafting, and publishing, inspiring many to experiment and document their gastronomic adventures.
Visitors would have been amiss to not experience the perennially popular area that was the Wine and Spirits Theatre, which remained a hub of activity throughout the entirety of the weekend.
Here, ticketholders were invited to sample the best from wine destinations around the world, such as the Czech Republic, Portugal, and Georgia, while theatre sponsor Laithwaites invited them to sip their way around the globe in six wines and myriad sumptuous summer cocktails.
A GASTRONOMIC ADVENTURE
New to the 2024 festival lineup was the introduction of a series of tasting sessions, where field experts showcased high-quality chocolate from around the world, a glorious selection of British cheeses, and classic Latin American cocktails.
Additionally, for the first time, eventgoers had the opportunity to perfect their photography skills through the all-new Food Photography Workshops by booking a session either with Charlie Richards, who discussed how to enhance photography techniques in the studio or at home, or with Giulia Veridinelli to learn how to shoot jaw-dropping food photos on the go.
Experienced and budding photographers alike were able to glean the tools and know-how necessary to capture magazine-worthy food images under the guidance of passionate and well-versed experts.
Both of these new opportunities proved to be wildly successful, selling out well ahead of the show and promising many more experiences to come in the following years.
From travel companies and tourist boards to artisan producers and craftspeople, the festival has become an annual meeting place for a diverse range of both exhibitors and visitors, all hungry for the opportunity to experience the ingredients, techniques, and traditions that define the world’s most exciting culinary destinations.
The internationally renowned festival is set to return to London’s Business Design Centre in 2025 with a brand-new lineup of chefs, authors, culinary experts, and food enthusiasts, offering flavour-seekers yet another chance to taste the wonders of the world.
Make sure to buy tickets ahead of time to embark upon this gastronomic adventure of a lifetime and find yourself immediately transported to locations around the globe through generous scoops of gelato, fusion bao buns, Brazilian picanha steaks, gloriously decadent brownies, and so much more at the National Geographic Traveller (UK) Food Festival.
