The eighth Framlingham Sausage Festival gets underway this weekend, with organisers expecting record crowds – but what is it all about?
The festival format
The sausage festival was first devised as a celebration of the ‘Great British banger’ and to showcase the region’s superb sausages.
This year’s event gets underway from 10am on Sunday.
Producers from across Suffolk and Norfolk will be stationed at venues along a ‘sausage trail’ offering their wares and vying for the public vote to be crowned winner.
Visitors buy their tickets, either in advance or on the day, costing £6 per person or £20 for a group of four.
Tickets come with a ‘sausage trail map’ showing where the various producers are stationed.
Ticket-holders visit each one, present their card for stamping and claim their tasting sample. After sampling each entry, food fans select their favourite and place their vote.
The winners will then be announced at a free awards ceremony at Framlingham Castle from 5.30pm.
The producers
Well known butchers, farms and restaurants will all be vying for the title of ‘best banger’ at this year’s festival.
The full list of entries is:
•Sutton Hoo Chicken
•Hall Farm Butchers
•E W Revett & Son
•The Lemon Tree
•Friday Street Farm Shop
•Powters
•Emmerdale Farm Shop
•John Hutton Butchers
•Dunnett’s Butchers
•Meat Masons
•JR Creaseys
•Procter’s Sausages
•Prince of India
The venues
Many of the venues also host special entertainment for the food fans.
•Hall Farm Butchers
•The Railway Inn
•The Station Hotel
•Castle Inn
•The Crown
•Ruby Tyger
•The Cookshop
•Simpsons Sweet Shop
•The Lemon Tree
•The Fireplace
•K9 Divine Grooming
What else is there to do?
Over the years, the festival has grown to include a wide variety of entertainment, workshops and activities, which are free for ticket-holders to attend:
•Ceramic painting workshops
•Sausage making workshops with The Artisan Butcher
•Live music and Beer Festival at The Railway
•Cider festival and live music at The Station
•Street Dance and entertainment
•The ‘Ladies in Pigs’ cooking up pork recipes
•Entertainment in the Fresh Talent Performance Area plus young musicians from the Rock Project
•Greg Chapman’s intimate theatre experience involving physical comedy, mime, music, sound effects, miniatures and contact juggling.
•Easton Farm Park’s pets corner
•Fest Rest and Kidzone at the Library – refreshments, seating and activities
•Kids silent disco at The Castle Inn
•Wine tasting workshops with Love a Taste
•Entertainment for the youngsters from Steff and Nonsense
•Animal art workshops with laura Beardsell-Moore
•Fun kids arty workshops with The Distressed Artist
•Indian Head Massage workshops and Zone out Zone at TK Yoga Retreat
•Tasty treats at K9 Divine Grooming.
•Special Festival milkshakes and treats at Simpsons
The awards show
Festival organisers are making a big push for this year’s awards show, which is free to attend from 5.30pm in Framlingham Castle.
Headline act Connor Adams will be performing live with his unusual set up which includes a loop station, two vocal mics and an acoustic guitar. People will also be able to find out who has taken the coveted ‘best banger’ title for 2018.
Extra information
Organisers have taken extra steps to keep the roads free from traffic. People visiting by car are asked to make use of the free parking at Framlingham College and to use the extra minibuses to take people into town and around the venues for free. “Please don’t park on the roadside,” says Steve Calver, events manager for Framlingham Business Association.
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