Lincoln Castle Food and Drink Festival
I have never seen so much junk food in one location.
Sadly yet another pathetic excuse to charge for access to Lincoln Castle, access that is normally free.
I was there when vehicles arrived Friday. A convoy in Castle Hill, others blocking nearby streets as no idea where to go. Engines left running. From what I could see, too many vendors of junk food.
Saturday afternoon it poured with rain.
More or less the same Sunday afternoon.
By the time I arrived the Castle Grounds turned into a quagmire and stalls packing up.
Walking into one marquee, and this was inside the marquee not outside, the mud oozed over the top of my sandals.
My initial reservations of Friday were more than confirmed. A travelling circus of mainly junk food, and they had the gall to charge a ten pound entrance fee.
Stallholders, based on a complex formula, were paying several hundred pounds, some a thousand pounds, to exhibit.
A coffee vendor, a franchise. No, I did not have a coffee. I asked why waste money on a franchise? Learn about coffee by working at a speciality coffee shop, then set up with quality coffee, but do not waste money on a franchise to sell poor quality coffee.
Another coffee stall, I asked where was their coffee from. They refused to say, rivals may steal their coffee.
What complete and utter garbage.
Speciality coffee shops make a point of where their coffee is sourced from, right down to the farm, it is all about transparency and traceability.
Whilst waiting for the rain to ease off, I just made it from one end to the other before the rain came down, a man with quality cakes, olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and lovely painted bowls. Very much Spanish influenced.
I contrast quality cake stall with others, mass produced cakes from a factory.
Chunky chips, burgers. Yuk.
If to repeat a food festival, hold an annual street food market in Castle Hill, as it grows extend into Bailgate, invite quality food stalls, wood-fired pizzas, vineyards, real ale, bread, cakes.
There are sufficient good examples from around the country, and they are free, but please do not insult people who appreciate good food and coffee with a repeat of this travelling circus.
Armed police were patrolling inside and outside the Castle Grounds. An over-the-top security presence to gain access to the Castle. And why were private security directing traffic on Castle Hill?
