Health & Fitness

RHS Celebrates Harvest with Huge ‘Taste of Autumn’ Food Festival

Appetising events being held in October at all four RHS Gardens

 The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) will celebrate harvest with Taste of Autumn, a festival aimed at foodies, families and grow-your-own enthusiasts across all four RHS Gardens. The festival will take place over the weekend of 12-13 October at RHS Gardens Hyde Hall in Essex, Rosemoor in North Devon and Harlow Carr in North Yorkshire; and 16-20 October at RHS Garden Wisley in Surrey.

The gardens will host stalls selling the best of local artisan produce from cheese and jam to heritage apples and wild mushrooms, as well as fruit and vegetables grown on site. Tastings, cookery demos, talks and book signings will also take place. Games and activities for children, and live music will create a festival atmosphere. For those keen to grow as well as eat, RHS gardening experts and the advisory team will be on hand with tips and information. Whether you have a windowbox, front lawn, smallholding, allotment or just a vase to fill – there will be something taking place at an RHS Garden for you.

What’s on in the four RHS Gardens:

RHS Garden Wisley (Surrey) At the RHS flagship garden in Surrey around 40 exhibitors will be gathering to show off the very best of the season’s produce and artisan food with fruit and vegetables, jams, cheeses, meats, wines and more available to see, taste and take home. Cookery demonstrations from chef Rosemary Moon, live music, family activities, expert talks and book signings from the likes of Pippa Greenwood, James Martin and Jekka McVicar will help keep crowds entertained. The Society’s very own apple expert Jim Arbury will also be on hand to identify mystery apples brought in by visitors.

RHS Garden Harlow Carr (North Yorkshire) To celebrate UK Fungus Day (13 October), RHS Garden Harlow Carr and the Mid-Yorkshire Fungus Group will put on a beautiful display to help visitors identify unusual specimens. Local artisan producers will sell the best of the season’s edibles, and chef Lionel Strubb will perform mushroom miracles and whip up seasonal specialities in the kitchen garden with its woodburning oven and fire pit. Live music and family-friendly activities including mask-making, mushroom themed games and fungus decoder quizzes will keep the whole family entertained. RHS experts will also be on site to answer all your growing questions and to give handy tips and tricks to try at home.

RHS Garden Rosemoor (Devon) In its celebration of the fantastic colours, flavours and edible delights of the autumn season, RHS Garden Rosemoor will join the mushroom theme. Weekend activities include guided walks around Rosemoor’s own fruit and vegetable garden, fruit tasting, food stalls and family fun. As part of UK Fungus Day (13 October) there will also be mushroom sampling, displays, children activities, expert advice, fungi habitat walks and cookery demonstrations using fresh seasonal produce. The Garden Kitchen Restaurant will be featuring mushroom- and autumn-themed dishes.

RHS Garden Hyde Hall (Essex) Celebrating everything autumnal, RHS Garden Hyde Hall will host colourful displays of fruit, vegetables and local produce. At the craft fair, visitors will also be able to view and purchase contemporary craft and art from some of the finest professional designer/makers in the UK today. The Cottage Garden Society will be giving talks on ‘Plants 4 Free’, and RHS experts will be on hand to answer gardening questions. Children can enjoy a mini farm, longest apple-peel competitions, apple tasting and craft activities.