National Geographic Traveller (UK) celebrates the success of its fourth annual Food Festival

Thousands of food-lovers came together at London’s Business Design Centre over the weekend for the 2024 National Geographic Traveller (UK) Food Festival — a globetrotting celebration of the world’s most exciting culinary destinations. Now in its fourth year, the event has established itself as a fixture on the UK culinary festival calendar with its blend of world-class street food, hands-on workshops and a high-profile Main Stage line-up, which this year included Nadiya Hussain, Matt Tebbutt, Nisha Katona and Theo Randall.

The 2024 show was sponsored by luxury pasta brand Atavi and Kenwood, which kindly provided stand mixers for the weekend’s various cooking demos. Meanwhile, trip provider Trailfinders sponsored this year’s Cinnamon Theatre, while online wine retailer Laithwaites sponsored the Wine & Spirits Theatre.

Nicola Trup, editor of Food by National Geographic Traveller (UK), said: “This year’s Food Festival was a huge success, with the Saturday sold out and a brilliant line-up of chefs and speakers representing numerous international cuisines across the two days. The new additions of tasting sessions and photography workshops went down really well too, with many booked up well in advance. Thank you to everyone who came, celebrated global cuisine with us and made this another Food Festival to remember.”

Highlights of the 2024 Food Festival

Main Stage

This year’s Main Stage welcomed its highest-profile chef line-up to date. Nadiya Hussain, Matt Tebbutt and Nisha Katona were just some of the big names who prepared signature dishes live, the latter marking her festival debut with her Bengali prawn curry. The weekend also saw cooking demos from:

Chef-restaurateur Theo Randall and Richard Corrigan

Pastry chef, author and broadcaster Ravneet Gill

Cookbook author Olia Hercules

Speakers’ Corner

Away from the hubbub of the festival floor, food writers and culinary trailblazers sat down with hosts Farida Zeynalova and Alex Outhwaite to discuss the inspiration behind their latest cookbooks.

Imad Alarnab talked about his acclaimed cookbook, Imad’s Syrian Kitchen

Zuza Zak delved into the recipes inside SIavic Kitchen Alchemy

Denai Moore fired up appetites with insights into her book, Plentiful

Alex Jackson revealed the inspiration behind Frontières, his love letter to French cuisine

The Masterclass Theatres

Visitors to the Cinnamon and Saffron Theatres were shown how to make specialities from Georgia, Ecuador, Indonesia and beyond, with Pino Edwards, the chef behind street-food stall Pino’s Warung in Camden Lock Market, unveiling the secrets behind his charcoal-grilled chicken satay on Sunday. The live cooking demonstrations also saw guest chefs prepare dishes from destinations including Antigua and Barbuda and Malaysia.

Wine & Spirits Theatre

As with previous festivals, this perennially popular area remained a hub of activity throughout the weekend, with guests invited to sample the best from wine destinations such as the Czech Republic, Portugal and Georgia, while theatre sponsor Laithwaites invited ticketholders to sip their way around the world in six wines and try a selection of sumptuous summer cocktails.

New tasting sessions, workshops and more

This year’s festivalgoers were also given the chance to try two new features. In the Tasting Sessions room, slots for Best of British Cheese, A Taste of Chocolate and Latin American Cocktails all sold out well ahead of the show. So too did spaces for the Food Photography Workshops, which saw Charlie Richards and Giulia Verdinelli provide budding photographers with the tools and know-how to shoot food images like professionals.

In terms of street food, hungry attendees tucked into duck wraps, lamb patty burgers, Jamaican classics and more. Elsewhere on the festival floor, exhibitors from across the globe offered up samples, expertise and travel inspiration, while ticketholders were also able to buy gifts and ingredients from a range of food brands and artisan producers.

The National Geographic Traveller (UK) Food Festival will return on 19-20 July 2025 with a new line-up of chefs, authors, experts and enthusiasts, offering food-lovers yet another chance to explore recipes, ingredients and stories from across the globe. Dates to be announced. 

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Notes:

About the National Geographic Traveller (UK) Food Festival    

Brought to you by National Geographic Traveller (UK) and Food by National Geographic Traveller (UK), the inaugural National Geographic Traveller (UK) Food Festival was held in July 2019 at London’s Business Design Centre. The event is organised by APL Media, publisher of the National Geographic Traveller (UK) titles, and adopts a zero food-waste policy. For more information, visit foodfestival.natgeotraveller.co.uk  

About Food by National Geographic Traveller (UK) 

This award-winning quarterly series of special issues of National Geographic Traveller (UK) magazine is brought to you by APL Media Limited. It launched in spring 2018. nationalgeographic.com/travel 

About National Geographic Traveller (UK)

This travel and lifestyle magazine is published under licence by APL Media Limited, from National Geographic Partners LLC in Washington, DC. Launched in December 2010, it’s packed full of you-are-there photography, authentic travel experiences and inspiring narratives. nationalgeographic.com/travel 

About APL Media 

An award-winning content marketing agency, founded in 1997, APL Media has been changing the narrative, and the way clients communicate with their audiences, for over 25 years. In addition to publishing the award-winning magazines National Geographic Traveller (UK) and Food by National Geographic Traveller (UK) and organising related events under the National Geographic brand umbrella, APL Media produces print, digital and live media across the travel and lifestyle sector. aplmedia.co.uk 

CONTACT:   

For editorial enquiries:   

Tel: +44 (0) 20 7253 9906   

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Nicola Trup, editor, National Geographic Traveller Food   

Tel: +44 (0) 20 7253 9906   

[email protected]   

Pat Riddell, editor, National Geographic Traveller (UK)   

Tel: +44 (0) 20 7253 9906   

[email protected]   

Maria Pieri, chief operating officer and editorial director   

Tel: +44 (0) 20 7253 9906   