Typically, music festivals do not prioritise a culinary experience for their attendees. Emergency solutions or, more often than not, lucrative deals result in food options that, under normal circumstances, would barely warrant a second glance among the thousands of festival-goers. Large street food chains that can afford the hefty participation fees monopolise the food offerings, which, whether they like it or not, visitors will consume after hours of standing and enjoying their favourite bands and artists.
But what if you were at one of the world`s biggest music festivals? Held almost every summer since 1970 in the south-west of England near the town of Pilton, Glastonbury attracts just over two hundred thousand people over five days. The massive participation of people from different cultural backgrounds has forced the organisers in recent years to pay particular attention to their culinary preferences, creating a mosaic of flavours that is very different from the `burger - hot dog - chips` pattern we are used to seeing at similar events. More than four hundred food More than four hundred food vans are set up across fifteen hundred acres of agricultural land to showcase the variety of flavours and aromas they can offer within the iconic music festival, each in their own special way and each with their own personal culinary identity.
Amid the sounds of Coldplay, Arctic Monkeys, Guns N` Roses, Elton John, Paul McCartney, and countless others in recent years, festival-goers at Glastonbury stroll past kitchens that range from Mediterranean to Japanese and Caribbean cuisines. Small family businesses, internationally award-winning canteens, and both original and traditional recipes are all represented, and a walk among them is enough to reveal the profoundly different culinary philosophy that prevails on the Island.
The recipe that first appeared in 1930 in a medieval English cookbook finds its rightful place at the festival. Anna Mae`s canteen (see photo above) has become a topic of discussion among magazines, culinary guides, and fans of Mac n Cheese in recent years. Cooking in large cast iron skillets at Anna Mae`s vans, the macaroni is combined with cheese, porcini mushrooms, black truffles, pickled jalapeño peppers, crispy blue corn tortillas, and kimchi. Nearby, New Orleans cuisine successfully crosses the Atlantic with the Bayou Bar. Crunchy fried chicken with remoulade sauce, garlic butter, and pickles alternate with black shrimp, Cajun potatoes, and finely chopped pork slowly cooked for over fifteen hours.
When a canteen serving grilled cheese sandwiches participates in galas for Emilia Wickstead and travels to France and Abu Dhabi for charitable events, you know they`re doing something right. The Cheese Bar (see photo above) exclusively works with small producers in England, while fourth-generation baker Jason Sourdough, who runs the business, has been experimenting since 2014 to achieve the perfect bread recipe. Next, we visit Club Mexicana (see photo below), a cantina offering Latin American food that has quickly gained physical locations in Soho and within Mercato Mayfair in London in just four years. Owner Meriel Armitage has garnered numerous culinary awards, elevating vegetarian cuisine by transforming seitan into beef, tofu into shawarma, and jackfruit into ribs.
The thin, savory crepe from Indian cuisine, featuring only three versions of Dosa on the menu, finds its way to Dosa Deli. Generous portions of cheese, Masala, and handmade onion bhaji are served with Sambhar (a vegetable stew based on lentils) and coconut chutney, making this authentic South Indian recipe exceptionally appealing.Flitter Shack offers vegetarian food with a focus on sustainability. This small family-run business processes all its waste from the festival`s vegetable oils and converts it into biodiesel, serving primarily Mediterranean cuisine while their stall is powered entirely by solar energy.
The classic French-Canadian dish poutine, which first emerged in the 1950s and later conquered America and the UK, is served at The Gravy Train Poutine (see photo above). Crispy fries with the skin on are accompanied by aged cheddar cheese and their highly praised chicken gravy. La Rotisserie is a French rotisserie on wheels, roasting whole British chickens on spits that have been marinated for 24 hours with basil, rosemary, oregano, and thyme, and then served on homemade flatbreads.
Clearly, there`s no need to mention more participants. However, what’s worth noting is the informal agreement that has been implemented, ensuring that each of them offers at least one complete meal priced at £6, leaving every visitor satisfied.
Glastonbury is not just an ordinary music festival. It’s a journey through the world’s flavours, a place where cuisine stands alongside music. Whether you’re trying a spicy dish from Mexico or a comforting nostalgia-filled meal from Canada, the experience is always the same: an explosion of flavours that complements the rhythm of the stage, and perhaps therein lies the true magic of Glastonbury.
But what if you were at one of the world`s biggest music festivals? Held almost every summer since 1970 in the south-west of England near the town of Pilton, Glastonbury attracts just over two hundred thousand people over five days. The massive participation of people from different cultural backgrounds has forced the organisers in recent years to pay particular attention to their culinary preferences, creating a mosaic of flavours that is very different from the `burger - hot dog - chips` pattern we are used to seeing at similar events. More than four hundred food More than four hundred food vans are set up across fifteen hundred acres of agricultural land to showcase the variety of flavours and aromas they can offer within the iconic music festival, each in their own special way and each with their own personal culinary identity.
Amid the sounds of Coldplay, Arctic Monkeys, Guns N` Roses, Elton John, Paul McCartney, and countless others in recent years, festival-goers at Glastonbury stroll past kitchens that range from Mediterranean to Japanese and Caribbean cuisines. Small family businesses, internationally award-winning canteens, and both original and traditional recipes are all represented, and a walk among them is enough to reveal the profoundly different culinary philosophy that prevails on the Island.
The recipe that first appeared in 1930 in a medieval English cookbook finds its rightful place at the festival. Anna Mae`s canteen (see photo above) has become a topic of discussion among magazines, culinary guides, and fans of Mac n Cheese in recent years. Cooking in large cast iron skillets at Anna Mae`s vans, the macaroni is combined with cheese, porcini mushrooms, black truffles, pickled jalapeño peppers, crispy blue corn tortillas, and kimchi. Nearby, New Orleans cuisine successfully crosses the Atlantic with the Bayou Bar. Crunchy fried chicken with remoulade sauce, garlic butter, and pickles alternate with black shrimp, Cajun potatoes, and finely chopped pork slowly cooked for over fifteen hours.
When a canteen serving grilled cheese sandwiches participates in galas for Emilia Wickstead and travels to France and Abu Dhabi for charitable events, you know they`re doing something right. The Cheese Bar (see photo above) exclusively works with small producers in England, while fourth-generation baker Jason Sourdough, who runs the business, has been experimenting since 2014 to achieve the perfect bread recipe. Next, we visit Club Mexicana (see photo below), a cantina offering Latin American food that has quickly gained physical locations in Soho and within Mercato Mayfair in London in just four years. Owner Meriel Armitage has garnered numerous culinary awards, elevating vegetarian cuisine by transforming seitan into beef, tofu into shawarma, and jackfruit into ribs.
The thin, savory crepe from Indian cuisine, featuring only three versions of Dosa on the menu, finds its way to Dosa Deli. Generous portions of cheese, Masala, and handmade onion bhaji are served with Sambhar (a vegetable stew based on lentils) and coconut chutney, making this authentic South Indian recipe exceptionally appealing.Flitter Shack offers vegetarian food with a focus on sustainability. This small family-run business processes all its waste from the festival`s vegetable oils and converts it into biodiesel, serving primarily Mediterranean cuisine while their stall is powered entirely by solar energy.
The classic French-Canadian dish poutine, which first emerged in the 1950s and later conquered America and the UK, is served at The Gravy Train Poutine (see photo above). Crispy fries with the skin on are accompanied by aged cheddar cheese and their highly praised chicken gravy. La Rotisserie is a French rotisserie on wheels, roasting whole British chickens on spits that have been marinated for 24 hours with basil, rosemary, oregano, and thyme, and then served on homemade flatbreads.
Clearly, there`s no need to mention more participants. However, what’s worth noting is the informal agreement that has been implemented, ensuring that each of them offers at least one complete meal priced at £6, leaving every visitor satisfied.
Glastonbury is not just an ordinary music festival. It’s a journey through the world’s flavours, a place where cuisine stands alongside music. Whether you’re trying a spicy dish from Mexico or a comforting nostalgia-filled meal from Canada, the experience is always the same: an explosion of flavours that complements the rhythm of the stage, and perhaps therein lies the true magic of Glastonbury.
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