Whale of a time
Close encounters with your very own whale as it surfaces from the depths of your porridge… The Natural History Museum’s ceramic bowl featuring a sperm whale makes breakfast a whole load more fun
Sperm whale bowl £15 from nhm.ac.uk
Oliver Cromwell gin
Gold medal winner at this year’s International Wine & Spirits Challenge, Aldi’s Oliver Cromwell London Dry Gin has a potent citrus aroma and a clear, crisp flavour and costs less than a tenner
Oliver Cromwell London Dry Gin, £9.97/70cl from Aldi stores
North End Road Food Market
The vibrant meat, fish, fruit and veg market in south-west London began life in the last years of Queen Victoria’s reign. This September it celebrates its 130th birthday with a special edition market including 150 stalls, live music and entertainment
North End Road market special edition, 23 September, Fulham London SW6, visit lbhf.gov.uk/business/markets/north-end-road-market for details
Five of the best autumn food festivals
Meatopia
Fifth year of the meat and booze fest majoring in whole roasted beasts, open flames, a dedicated craft beer section, live music, talks and workshops with meat-minded chefs
Meatopia, Tobacco Quay, Wapping Lane, London E1W, 1-3 Sept, meatopia.co.uk
Go Organic
Over 100 stalls plus an organic farm with real animals, beer tent, cooking demos and talks on organic life-styles
Go Organic, Battersea Park, London, 8-9 Sept, goorganicfestival.co.uk
Abergavenny
Wales’s largest food festival is 18 this year and has everything for the enthusiastic food lover: tours, forages, feasts, demos, music, markets and a farmyard. Speakers include Tom Kerridge, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Darina Allen and Olia Hercules
Abergavenny Food Festival, 16-17 Sept, Monmouthshire Wales, visit abergavennyfoodfestival.com
Arley Hall
All the usual suspects including talks and demos plus cooking in a camper, foraging walks and a cake-off
Arley Hall Food Festival, 23-24 Sept, Northwich, Cheshire, visit greatbritishfoodfestival.com/arley-hall
Aldeburgh
Over 90 (mostly local) food and drink producers selling raw milk, organic vegetables and sourdough bread. There’s award-winning beer, cider and spirits from local brewers Adnams and Aspall, plus streetfood, cookery demos and talks by an array of chefs
Aldeburgh Food and Drink Festival, 23-24 Sept, Snape Maltings, Nr Aldeburgh Suffolk, visit aldeburghfoodanddrink.co.uk
