Hundreds Tuck Into A Feast Of Local Flavour At Wimborne Food Festival

Maggie Richardson at Wimborne Food Festival 2026 © Wimborne BID

Hundreds of visitors filled Wimborne for a successful Food Festival featuring free cookery demonstrations, tastings, live music, alfresco dining and food events across the town.

At the main festival site on Willow Walk, the Dacombes of Wimborne Food Festival Theatre hosted a full day of free demonstrations by local chefs, bakers and food specialists. Headliner professional, chef Colin Nash showcased spectacular fish and game cookery, while former Great British Bake Off contestant Maggie Richardson shared her choux-pastry expertise. Restaurant and deli owner Cristina Cavalleri of LovItaly demonstrated Italian recipes and Sali Pike and Ellie Snook from Renoufs offered top tips on cheese and charcuterie grazing boards.
Pete Miles from Dorset Oysters introduced the audience to the joys of shellfish, tempting people to try oysters for the first time. 

Wimborne chef Colm McKavanagh teamed up with Salamander Cookshop for Tricks with Tortilla, showing home cooks a quicker method using ingredients available locally. 

David Crossley, owner of Salamander Cookshop, said: “This was the first time Salamander Cookshop has appeared in the superb festival demonstration kitchen. It links closely to our aim of bringing cookware to life. It was an absolute joy to be part of such a great celebration of our wonderfully vibrant town.”

Festival-goer Linda Evans, from Wimborne, said: “This is the second time I’ve visited the festival, and I love the fact that so much of it is free. I picked up some useful tips from the cooking demonstrations and the variety of stalls around the town was so impressive. I love that it is all about local produce and food.”

Matt Renaut, Managing Director of Dacombes of Wimborne, which supplied the demonstration kitchen, said: “We were absolutely delighted to sponsor the Dacombes Food Festival Theatre. This year’s festival was bigger and better than ever.”

Vey Jackson of Fluffetts Home farm shop said: “We were discovered by so many new faces. I’d say at least 70% of the people who visited us were potential new customers, which is incredible. There was such a great community spirit in the town.”

Simon Warren, founder of award-winning East Street Deli added: “We’ve served the most customers in a day ever! The town has been buzzing. My team and I are exhausted, but I already can’t wait until next year!”

The festival ended with a chocolate cake competition judged by Maggie Richardson and Colin Nash. Ten-year-old Samuel Tulk, from Poole, won the junior category with the first chocolate cake he had ever made, encouraged by his father, who won the competition last year.

Lydia Elderfield from Ferndown won the adult category with a mouthwatering chocolate creation featuring chocolate shards, buttercream, Maltesers and a mirror glaze. A solicitor and new mother, she “bakes for fun, whenever time allows.”

All the delicious cakes were auctioned off for the town mayor’s charities – Lewis Manning Hospice and Waggy Tails rescue. 

Fiona Pawsey, Chair of Wimborne BID, said: “It’s been amazing to see so many people discovering what Wimborne has to offer. People were pouring off the buses and the car parks were full, showing a real appetite for an event like this. We are thrilled that Wimborne BID can showcase what the town can serve up when it comes not only to local food and produce but brilliant foodie knowledge too. Huge thanks go to all the local businesses that got involved with demonstrations, tasters and events. We can’t wait to see what we cook up next year.”