News & Events

The Best Global Food and Drink Events in October

02 Oct, 2018

Now that autumn is well underway and winter is just on the horizon, we could all do with a little post-summer pick-me-up. Thankfully, there are plenty of food and drink events throughout October to do just that. Here are some of the best food and drink events and festivals from around the world in October, celebrating all things delicious and nutritious.

Oktoberfest, Munich, Germany

22^ndSeptember – 7^thOctober

Definitely one of the most famous food and drink events in the world, Oktoberfest has to make this list…although it does technically start in September. Beer, Bratwurst, strudel and steins – this is the ultimate beer-lovers’ festival and surely gets a spot on most people’s bucket lists. Besides plenty of beer, you’ll find rides and rollercoasters, games and food stalls and colourful parades. This is the ultimate celebration of traditional Bavarian food, dress and, of course, the world’s most popular alcoholic beverage.

More Germany!

Erdinger Oktoberfest London, UK

27^thSeptember – 21^stOctober

Photo Credit: Erdinger Oktoberfest London Facebook

No time to get to the airport? No problem! The Olympic Park in London is playing host to its very own beer-fuelled bash. Erdinger Weißbraü, the private beer company dating all the way back to 1886, is putting on a traditional beer garden and fun fair. So, don your lederhosen, arm yourself with a stein or two and sing and dance the night away! The authentic German food on offer, and waiters and waitresses flown in from Germany just for the event, help to transport you to Bavaria without having to suffer the pains of the EasyJet baggage queue…

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Moldova Wine Day

6th-7th October

Photo Credit: wineday.wineofmoldova.com

The country of Moldova has a culture steeped in viticultural history, so much so that they have a national wine day every single year! Events are concentrated in the first weekend of October and are concentrated largely in the National Assembly Square of Chisinau, the country’s capital. Taste wine from over 60 producers and enjoy culinary tours, concerts and traditional craft stalls all over the city. It’s a wonderfully unique, joyous (and vinous occasion). Here are some other things you can get up to while you’re there.

Moldova Travel Guide!

Gastronomika, San Sebastian, Spain

8^th– 10^thOctober

Photo Credit: sansebastiangastronomika.com

San Sebastian, and the Basque country in general, is somewhat of a culinary Mecca. Home to some of the best chefs and restaurants in the world, it’s practically guaranteed that any food festival here is going to be good. 2018 will be the 20^thedition of Gastronomika, where truly great chefs deliver brilliant talks and masterclasses, accompanied by delicious tastings. This is true food festival heaven.

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NYC Wine and Food Festival, New York, USA

11^th– 14^thOctober

Photo Credit: https://nycwff.org

What began as a one-night event in 2007 has become a four-day, city-wide, food and wine extravaganza. More than 80 events see intimate dinners with renowned chefs, classes and seminars, wine tastings and late-night parties pop up all across New York. Not only is this a fantastic opportunity to experience the best food and wine the City has to offer in a myriad of marvellous venues, but 100% of the net proceeds benefit the No Kid Hungry campaign and Food Bank For New York City. This means you can gorge yourself to your heart’s content safe in the knowledge that your gluttony is contributing to a brilliant cause.

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Falmouth Oyster Festival, Falmouth, UK

11^th– 14^thOctober

If you fancy escaping the hustle and bustle of the city, why not head down to Cornwall for the 22^ndinstalment of the Falmouth Oyster Festival? This fishy affair has become one of Cornwall’s biggest and best loved food festivals, celebrating not only the start of the oyster dredging season but also the quality and diversity of Cornish produce as a whole. Of course, there will be plenty of freshly shucked oysters, but with lots of other local food produce on offer there is more than enough to satisfy any hungry reveller. And, to wash all the excellent seafood down, head to the real ale and wine bars around the Festival – with Laurent Perrier being one of the sponsors, you know it’s going to be good stuff!

Cookery demonstrations, live music, arts and crafts, a boat race, Grand Oyster draw and even a parade – the Falmouth Oyster Festival is well-stocked on the entertainment front whilst managing to maintain a community-feel at its heart.

London Festival of Wine, London, UK

13^thOctober

Award-winning wine writer, broadcaster and publisher, Tom Canavan, has brought together some of the world’s top wineries and the UK’s elite wine merchants for a day dedicated to all things wine. Hosted in the spectacular Grand Hall of One Great George Street in Westminster, you can walk among the exhibits and try over 350 different – and brilliant – wines. Also worth attending are the masterclasses, taught by expert tutors and winemakers alike, which will help you hone your knowledge and tasting technique.

Canavan’s team have been running major wine events since 2002, so you can rest assured this will be a well-organised event, enabling you to make the most of the day and the first-hand contact with some superb winemakers. If you can’t make the date, fear not as there are similar events running in Edinburgh on 3^rdNovember and Glasgow in the New Year.

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Hush Heath Winery

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Lime Wood Hotel

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The Wine Fiesta, Singapore

19^th– 21^stOctober

The third weekend of October marks the 10^thanniversary of Singapore’s signature wine festival, The Wine Fiesta. Hosted at The Fullerton Bay Hotel, this year’s theme is ‘The Body of Wine’, so you can explore a variety of wines and seek out similar styles to the ones you already love. Helping you along this journey are expert-led classes and the winemakers themselves, ever-enthusiastic to share not only their wines but their passion as well. You’ll also find plenty of gourmet delights to compliment the wide array of wines on offer.

Winefulness, London, UK

23^rdOctober

Photo Credit: http://www.harpers.co.uk

Towards the end of October sees London’s first vegan Winefulness event take place at the Shoreditch wine bar and shop, The Grocery Wine Bar and Vault. Targeted at the trendy, young and health-conscious, the event has been created to demonstrate that mindfulness is not just for dealing with stress but also about enjoying life more fully.

On offer is a tasting of a range of vegan wines from organic wine specialists, Vintage Roots, as well as the chance to nibble on artisanal vegan nut cheeses from I’m Nut OK. This really is cheese and wine, vegan-style, and certainly represents an interesting take on the notion of what constitutes a typical food and drink event.

Vegfestuk, London, UK

27^th– 28^thOctober

Photo Credit: https://london.vegfest.co.uk

Finally, for those of you keen on exploring the world of veganism a little further, the UK’s biggest vegan event is coming to London’s Olympia for the last weekend of October. Here you’ll find close to 300 stalls full of quality vegan products, accompanied by talks ranging from health and wellness to radical veganism and even yoga and qi gong sessions. What’s more, if you find you need a break from the green and good produce on offer, there will be live music, comedy, a cinema and an art exhibition – Vegfestuk has all bases covered!

Want to find out more about what’s always on in London and the UK, food and wine-wise? Check out our selection of wine and food tours around the country.