Shropshire Live has been announced as a media partner for this year’s 7th annual Ginger & Spice Festival taking place in Market Drayton from 28th September to 1st October 2023.
Shropshire Live will be supporting the communications before and during the annual festival with a series of interviews on their new mid-morning radio show with local presenter, Ryan Kennedy, broadcast from Market Drayton.
The interviews will showcase the local artisan traders, businesses, sponsors & artists lined up to attend this year’s award-winning festival. Shropshire Live will also have a presence on the main day in which Ryan Kennedy will be interviewing festival goers and participants on Saturday 30th September 2023.
Commenting on the sponsorship, Chris Pritchard, editor, and business partner at Shropshire Live said: “This is a great opportunity to further showcase the Ginger & Spice Festival to our Shropshire Live readers and listeners across the county.
“With Ryan broadcasting his weekday show live from Market Drayton, we look forward to bringing our audience all the latest festival news online and on air.”
Broadcaster and presenter Ryan Kennedy said: “The Ginger and Spice Festival is a huge event in the Market Drayton calendar, so it’s fantastic to be a part of it. I’m looking forward to bringing some of the highlights and atmosphere to our listeners and readers.”
Festival Director, Julia Roberts, said: “We are absolutely delighted to be partnering with Shropshire Live digital media platform for this year’s Ginger & Spice Festival. Shropshire Live launched their brand-new mid-morning show with Ryan Kennedy in March this year from the location of Market Drayton, so it is the perfect collaboration for us to promote both our organisations and the town of Market Drayton throughout Shropshire.”
Ryan’s show keeps Shropshire up to date with the latest local news and entertainment, with local and celebrity guests featuring on the show and a mix of music from the 80s to today. Ryan Kennedy presented his last show on BBC Radio Shropshire after 12 years at the station in March 2023. Previously Ryan presented the breakfast show on Beacon Radio.
Shropshire Live launched on air in October last year as an addition to the news and entertainment website which was established in 2009.
You can listen to Shropshire Live at shropshirelive.com, via the free mobile app on Android or iOS or ask Alexa to enable Shropshire Live, then after that play Shropshire Live. For Google-enabled devices just say talk to Shropshire Live.
The Ginger and Spice Festival 2023
A Taste of Autumn
Thursday 28th September, 11.30am to 3pm
Join Head Gardener, and Hotel owner, John Cushing, for a guided Garden Tour exploring the award-winning once acre kitchen garden and its bountiful, autumn produce followed by a seasonally inspired tasting menu. Ticketed https://goldstonehallhotel.co.uk/a-taste-of-autumn/
Ceilidh with the Tern Valley Tinkers
Friday 29th September 2023, 7.30pm to 11.30pm – ticketed
Ceilidh with the Tern Valley Tinkers including a buffet supper at Adderley Parish Hall hosted by the Market Drayton Twinning Association. Timings and tickets will be available soon.
Saturday 30th September 2023
Spicy Artisan Street Market – FREE of Charge
Visitors can enjoy a FREE spicy street market on Cheshire Street (in the centre of town) including a range of local, artisan producers and street food, many with a ginger and spicy twist! This will take place from 9.30am to 4.30pm. There will be delicious hot street food and drinks plus a bar. There will also be activities for children including gingerbread decorating, gingerbread clay crafts, and more.
Crafting Court on Cheshire Street – FREE OF CHARGE
• Gingerbread decorating with the Original Biscuit Bakers
• Activity at the Market Drayton Library tba
• Clay gingerbread moulding crafts
• Face painting
Live Street Music
There will be live street musicians near the food court throughout the day including Longlands School Choir, Lilly Boughey, Alisdair Mckenzie, Art Brasil Samba Drumming Band, Market Drayton Rock Choir, and more to be announced.
James Du Pavey Food Theatre
For the second year, the James Du Pavey Food Theatre, will be hosted by Shropshire based podcaster, Charlotte Foster, whose background in podcasts and radio (BBC and local commercials stations) will bring a wealth of presenting experience to the role. The chefs demonstrating will be assisted by talented home economist and recipe developer, Jill Weatherburn, and a team of volunteers.
The Chef lineup includes Jill Weatherburn herself, Chef Liam James Tinsley of the Buttercross (Shire collection); Chef Chris Burt of the Shire Collection; Chef James Sherwin of Wild Shropshire; Chef and Master Baker Michel Nijsten of The Inn Baschurch and British Bread Company; Dan Smith the Pastry Box Shropshire; Scott Shepley demonstrating how to butcher a joint from Shepley’s Butchers with their local meat and Petit Pates de Pezenas (France).
The James Du Pavey Food Theatre will be free of charge to attend and located under the 19th century stone portico Buttercross on Cheshire Street.
The team at James Du Pavey Eccleshall, led by branch manager, Lee Davies, will be present on the day to meet festival goers and assist with the festival food theatre.
Original Biscuit Bakers Heritage Town Trail – Free of Charge
For families, there will be a self-guided heritage trail and quiz including visiting buildings and places of historical significance (church, museum, etc). It also includes a contest in the town’s shop /business windows where families can pick the ‘best dressed Gingerbread character’, decorated by the local businesses and community to the theme “Characters from Books”. On Friday 29th September the town Mayor and a children’s author/illustrator will also pick their favourite character/window display. Prizes will be awarded to the winners after the festival.
Floating Market – FREE of Charge
For the third time at the Ginger & Spice Festival, The Roving Canal Traders will be exhibiting their wares on a Floating Market on the Shropshire Union Canal between bridge 63 and Bridge 64 opposite Ladybird Mooring (Market Drayton) between 10am and 5pm. The floating market also is open on Sunday 1st October at the same times.
Fodder and Tipple Trail – TICKETED
Meander through the streets of Market Drayton and out into the Shropshire countryside – including the Shropshire Union canal – on the Fodder and Tipple Tasting Trail. This ticketed event, which takes in the floating market, will include local tasting courses & refreshers at several stop offs along the route. More information to be announced soon via their What’s On page.
About the Festival
The Ginger and Spice Festival, which is now in its seventh year, is an annual celebration which takes place during British Food Fortnight, championing and celebrating the unique culinary heritage and historical links of gingerbread to the town of Market Drayton.
It also acts as a vehicle to promote local food producers, the weekly markets, suppliers, other community groups, plus places of historical interest & significance in and around the rural market town.
The festival aims to reconnect the community of Market Drayton to their unique culinary heritage through an eclectic mix of fun and educational festival fringe events celebrating the cultural assets and heritage of the town.
For further information about the Ginger and Spice Festival, please visit gingerandspicefestival.co.uk.
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