Aldeburgh Food and Drink Festival: Everything you need to know about one of Suffolk’s best-loved culinary festivals

One of Suffolk’s best-loved culinary festivals, which starts today, returns to the county with a stellar line-up of the UK’s renowned chefs.

The Aldeburgh Food and Drink Festival, held at Snape Matlings, is set to kick off from 9.30am.

Now in its 19th year, the annual two-day festival aims to showcase and celebrate the region’s culinary scene with masterclasses, live demonstrations and seafood street food.

Lady Caroline Cranbrook, co-founder of the non-for-profit event, said this year was set to be one of the most inspiring and delicious festivals yet.

She said: “We are delighted to welcome such an exceptional lineup of chefs to the festival.

“Their enthusiasm for food, sustainability and innovation mirrors our own commitment to celebrating the best of what our region has to offer.”

The festival’s main KellyBronze stage will host a mix of local and celebrity chefs, including Michelin-starred Tom Aikens – the youngest British chef to ever be awarded two Michelin stars during his time at Pied à Terre – and celebrated chef and cookbook author Ben Tish and Ivan Tisdal-Downes.

Other top names include Tom Booton, of The Grill at the Dorchester Hotel, in London, and a guest appearance by The Daily Telegraph’s restaurant critic William Sitwell.

The masterclasses will be held across two stages, every hour, and are free to attend.

Restaurants from across the county, such as The Suffolk in Aldeburgh, The Greyhound pub near Woodbridge, Pinch by Alice Norman, as well as The Unruly Pig and private chef Pete Harrison, will be attending alongside local butchers Salter & King, Pump Street Chocolate and Adnams brewery.

As well as cooking classes, the grounds will be filled with more than 130 stalls offering food such as organic vegetables, locally-produced honey, handcrafted chocolates and cheese and bread.

There will also be fun for little ones, with children’s cooking classes running every 30 minutes.

Children will also have the chance to learn how to make homemade quesadillas, pink houmous and healthy chocolate sauce, while under fives can plant a seed and make a healthy snack.

Tickets are £15, with free entry for under-16s.

For more information click here.

Parking is free, dogs must be kept on leads.

Today’s event is open until 5pm and tomorrow’s until 4pm.