LONDON (Monday, 17 June 2019): As the resurgence of rum takes the world by storm, the National Geographic Traveller (UK) team has lined up a host of exciting rum-based sampling opportunities at its inaugural Food Festival (20-21 July, Business Design Centre, London).

Glen Mutel, editor of National Geographic Traveller Food, said: “For many years, gin has hogged the limelight, but rum is having its moment in the sun. It’s a key driver of the rise of craft spirits, and there have never been more varieties available, whether dark, white, spiced, golden or aged. All of which is great news for rum lovers like me, and it’s exciting to see so many interesting types of rum from all over world appearing at this year’s festival.”

Rum is experiencing a surge in popularity, with sales topping the £1bn mark in the UK for the first time in 2018, according to the Wine and Spirit Trade Association. This has been accompanied by a huge increase in choice, with almost 200 different rum brands now available in the UK today, compared with only 50 in 2006.

To reflect this trend, the festival will bring together rums from around the world. These include five varieties from Grenada, including Old Grog and Black Gold; local rums from Nicaragua; and Cargo Cult, a small-batch spiced rum made with spirits from Papua New Guinea and Fiji. Meanwhile, visitors to both the Bahamas and Dominica stands can enjoy an array of rum-based cocktails.

In addition to rum sampling, visitors can also take part wine workshops and tastings, courtesy of The Wine Society, while under-the-radar wine destinations such as Israel, Tunisia and Greece will offer visitors a chance to broaden their knowledge and discover new favourites.

And there’s more

Visitors will also be able to sample food from around the globe, from jerk-spiced Caribbean jackfruit to street food from Budapest. And, in the masterclass theatres, they can learn how to create stunning dishes, from tortellini with a twist to Le Cordon Bleu’s gluten-free black burger with seaweed and tofu.

Meanwhile, on the main stage, there’ll be a curated programme of celebrated speakers, from French culinary icon Raymond Blanc and food personalities John Torode and Andi Oliver to a host of top chefs, including Gennaro Contaldo, Adam Handling and Zoe Adjonyoh, who will all be exhibiting their skills via live cooking demonstrations. Check the website for the full line-up.

Tickets cost £22 and include plenty of delicious – and free — sampling and learning opportunities.
foodfestival.natgeotraveller.co.uk

NOTES TO EDITORS

The new National Geographic Traveller Food Festival is set to take place on 20 and 21 July 2019 at the Business Design Centre, London. The event will offer an exciting and inspiring range of eating, drinking and learning experiences from across the globe. Visitors can broaden their palates stall by stall on a world tour of the exhibitor space; get the lowdown on some of the planet’s most exciting dishes via culinary masterclasses; and visit the two theatres for a curated programme of events, from expert panel discussions to interviews with celebrated food personalities and demonstrations from top chefs, including Raymond Blanc, John Torode, Adam Handling and Andi Oliver.
When: 20-21 July, 2019
Where: Business Design Centre, London
Tickets: £22, including entry to the festival and access to all interviews, Q&As, panel sessions and chef demonstrations.

Website: foodfestival.natgeotraveller.co.uk
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The National Geographic Traveller Food Festival’s culinary speakers and panellists include:

John Torode, MasterChef presenter, cookbook author and culinary road-tripper
Talk: My life in food

Raymond Blanc, chef-patron at the two-Michelin-starred Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, cookery book writer and TV chef
Interview: Meet the legend

Gennaro Contaldo, TV chef and presenter, cookbook writer
Demo: The Italian way

Adam Handling, chef-owner at Frog by Adam Handling and Adam Handling Chelsea, at the Belmond Cadogan Hotel
Demo: Homegrown heroes

Josh Katz, chef-owner at Berber & Q
Demo: Flavours of the Middle East

Tim Anderson, chef-proprietor at Nanban, food writer, MasterChef champion
Demo: Japanese flavours

Andi Oliver, award-winning TV chef and broadcaster
Interview: My life in food

Felicity Cloake, award-winning food writer and author
Interview: Meet the author

Romy Gill, owner and chef at Romy’s Kitchen
Demo: Culinary India

Shivi Ramoutar, cookbook author
Demo: The Caribbean on a plate & more

Zoe Adjonyo, chef and food writer
Demo: The Ghanaian kitchen & beyond

Full biography and background information on the culinary talent at the National Geographic Traveller Food Festival here

CONTACT:

For editorial enquiries:
[email protected]
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7253 9906

Glen Mutel, editor, National Geographic Traveller Food
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7253 9906
[email protected]

Maria Pieri, editorial director, APL Media
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7253 9906
[email protected]

Matthew Jackson, managing director, APL Media
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7253 9909
[email protected]

Anthony Leyens, CEO, APL Media
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7253 9909
[email protected]