Food & Drink: Cambridge’s new riverside pub, food festival and Easter events
Cambridge welcomes the perfect riverside pub, an all-new Food & Drink Week and two tasty Easter events
Easter Tea Party at Thrive: April 13
Belgian pastry chef Danielle Maupertuis is famous for blazing the plant-based trail. The author of cookbook Vegans Deserve Better Than a Fruit Salad, she’s hosted a series of sell-out seasonal afternoon tea dining-and-demo events at Cambridge’s Thrive cafe - and returns this month with an Easter-themed version.
Serving both sweet treats (such as soft-boiled vegan ‘egg’, pictured, a coconut pannacotta with chocolate halva and sponge) and savouries (Mexican bean, guac and salsa wraps, French ratatouille tartlets), Chef Danielle will also show how to make some of her signature desserts.
Taking place on Sunday, April 13, 3-5pm, tickets to the tea are priced £39 each and are set to sell out, so book now to bag one.
For more information and ticket booking, visit linktr.ee/chef_danielle_maupertuis
Byron’s Bear: Open now!
Taking its name from the tame bear Lord Byron kept as a pet while a Cambridge student, famously thumbing his nose at Trinity’s ‘no dogs in college’ rule, the city has this week welcomed a new riverside pub and restaurant.
Opening its doors on Wednesday (April 2), set on the banks of the Cam and with views across the sweeping Jesus Green, Byron’s Bear is a independent venture promising to combine “traditional pub charm with modern food expectation”.
Highlights will include the taproom, host to a rotation of craft ales, bespoke brews and “a cracking pint of Guinness”; a menu of “next-level pub food”, spanning everything from sharing boards to Sunday roasts; The Bear Hatch, offering takeaway coffee, drinks, pastries and pizza; and the garden, home to a south-facing suntrap of a terrace.
Says owner Rupert Clark: “Byron’s Bear isn’t just a pub or restaurant — it’s a place where people can come together to relax, celebrate or simply enjoy great food and drink in a welcoming atmosphere. We hope Byron's Bear will deliver a bit of good old fashioned British cheer and hospitality.”
Follow @ByronsBear for more information.
Cambridge Food & Drink Week and Foodies Festival: June 28-July 4
Dubbed ‘gastro-Glasto’, Foodies Festival is bringing its signature mix of food and music back to Cambridge this summer. With headliners including Great British Bake Off winner Matty Edgell, MasterChef: The Professionals champion Alex Webb, living DJ legend Judge Jules and Brit-winning boyband Blue, it will take place on Parker’s Piece from July 4 to 6.
The festival, which also features a cake and dessert theatre, fire stage, feasting tent, fairground rides and a silent disco, marks the culmination of the all-new Cambridge Food and Drink Week. Organised by Cambridge BID in partnership with Foodies Festival, the week, which runs June 28 to July 4, will, they say, “spotlight the city’s incredible culinary scene, bringing together restaurants, bars, cafes, and producers for a week of exclusive events, special menus and exciting experiences.”
Planning everything from a food-tasting trail and hands-on workshops to exclusive discounts, the team add: “Whether you’re a casual diner, a craft cocktail lover, or a dedicated foodie, Cambridge Food and Drink week promises something for everyone.”
Earlybird tickets for the Foodies Festival, priced from £6 for children and £21 for adults, are available now at foodiesfestival.com. For updates on Cambridge Food & Drink Week, see Love Cambridge’s site and socials.
Easter Market at Burwash Manor: April 19
Burwash Larder, the Barton farm shop that’s won multiple awards for its delicious mix of both local and speciality produce, is hosting an Easter Market this month.
Based at Burwash Manor, the rural retail destination just outside Cambridge, the Larder will be filling the site’s courtyards with stalls selling everything from sweet and savoury bakes to chocolate and cheese.
A chance to meet makers, sample their wares and fill your shopping baskets, the market, which has become an annual fixture for foodies, runs on Easter Saturday, April 19, 10am-4pm.
Full details at burwashlarder.com
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Alice Ryan