Food festival organisers show their intent

A "TENTED village" is springing up in Bristol's famous Queen Square – to provide some of the best food in the region.

The custom-built structures will host guest appearances from chefs at Michelin-starred restaurants The Pony and Trap and Casamia, as well as some of Bristol's other most popular eateries.

The event – which is being called Eat Drink Bristol Fashion – runs from Wednesday until May 7.

It is a collaboration between the man behind the Chew Magna gastro pub Pony and Trap, Josh Eggleton, and Luke Hasell, who is the director of local company Tipi Events, which provides tipis for festivals, parties and weddings. The pair approached the city council with their idea and have been working alongside the authority's place-making director, Mike Bennett, to turn it into reality.

The tipi village includes a dining area which will seat 100 people, a champagne bar, and an area with a series of art installations provided by Arcadia Festival Sculpture and Performance.

Visitors can go into the bar for free and enjoy local bands and DJs, while a team from the Pony and Trap serve their take on British tapas throughout the day.

During the day, the bar will become the Wogan Coffee House, serving coffee, sandwiches and cakes.

Then in the evenings, each night there will be a different resident restaurant with a new menu.

The restaurants showcasing their talents are the Pony and Trap; Totterdown's Star and Dove; city centre Chinese restaurant Dynasty; Westbury-on-Trym's Casamia; Hotwells pub The Pumphouse; Montpelier's Bell's Diner; Thornbury and Clifton restaurant Ronnie's; Bird in Hand at Long Ashton; and Welsh Back Indian Namaskar Lounge.

There will also be lunch events and two "Bristol Banquets" – corporate evenings for Bristol businesses.

Bristol is regarded as one of the best cities in the country's top level cuisine and the event is seen as a celebration of its culinary achievements. For tickets and more information, visit the website at www.eatdrinkbristolfashion.co.uk.

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