Hampton Court Palace celebrated another year of its annual food festival this Bank Holiday Weekend, welcoming a swathe of visitors into its beautiful gardens for three days of food, drink and entertainment.

These kinds of events are a great way to get to know the people and stories behind small brands. Some products available at the event are already in more mainstream shops – strawberry and caramel meringue nests from The Glorious Mess are available in Waitrose, and big brands like Fentiman’s soda are fridge staples – but others haven’t yet had their big break. Paneer company All The Aunties, for example, was only recently established, although you wouldn’t know it from their polished, funky packaging and marketing designs. Inspired by the women of their family and their travels across the world, All The Aunties’ samples were flying off the stall, their inspiration drawing further interest from punters.

Family stories are big with small companies. Louisa’s Honey, on the other side of the gardens, for example, is a family-run company that works with other family-run companies in its processes. As a stallholder patiently explained how each variety of honey is produced, with the hives placed in tactical locations to get specific flavours (cherry honey coming from hives in cherry orchards, lime honey from those in lime orchards and so on), a crowd quickly gathered to try spoonfuls from the array of jars. Unusual flavours like coriander and bosco (pine) just aren’t available elsewhere; this event is a great opportunity to try out something new.

In the centre of the festival, musical acts entertained the crowds with live music while a robust sound system filled in between sets. For kids not yet in a gourmand phase, a Lego tent, Bluey zone, fairground game area and the opportunity for a Shire horse-drawn carriage ride provided sufficient entertainment. Across the three days, various dance studios were also holding group lessons for something a bit different – and to help guests work up an appetite.

When it came to full-on meals, the options were expansive. From traditional Uzbek cuisine at Oshpaz to Australian-style pies at MyPie, from flavourful wraps at Lebanese truck Beyroots to filo pastry pies at Hush Hush Chefs, there was no shortage of choices. Many visitors had brought picnicware with them, and chequered blankets dotted the lawns.

A few trends were clear in the offerings of stallholders. Ginger remains a big flavour, present in snack foods, spirits, health shots and powders, while non-alcoholic alternatives were prominently available. Whether companies are exclusively offering products like sparkling teas as a replacement or have a non-alcoholic version of existing products, the low-and-no movement doesn’t seem to be going anywhere.

That said, many alcohol companies were in attendance. Bramble Drinks Company, which sells fruity liqueurs, delivered a punchy hit of summer in their strawberry samples, while Cocchi made tiny taster cocktails to order – complete with garnish. Whatever your preference, there was a flavoured beverage on hand.

Visiting Hampton Court Palace is always a delightful way to spend a sunny weekend. With the added draw of good food and drink and live music, what’s not to love?

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Lucy Carter is a London-based writer with a strong interest in the arts, entertainment and culture spaces. She can generally be found spending too much time and money at food markets and coffee shops, or going on long walks around the city. To read more of her work, take a look at her Substack and Muck Rack and follow her on Twitter @lucyllcarter.

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