The annual festival celebrates the culinary heritage and history of the rural Shropshire town of Market Drayton (UK) – famous for a revered local gingerbread. The festival is dedicated to all things ginger and spice and will take place for the 6th year this September.

What’s On

Visitors can enjoy a vibrant spicy street market including everything from hand iced gingerbread, boozy ginger cakes, chai fudge and cinnamon ice-cream to ginger ales, aromatic gins and hot spicy street food. There will be a food theatre located under the historic stone portico Buttercross with national, regional and top local chefs. Other events include a floating market on the nearby tow path of the Shropshire Union Canal, a Fodder and Tipple trail with tasty stop offs including beer sampling, street entertainers, children’s cookery classes, live comedy, and a grand finale jazz concert in the historic St Mary’s Church in the centre of the town.

There will be several competitions including gingerbread decorating and new for 2022 – a gingerbread biscuit eating contest!

The festival is also committed to exploring the town’s historic cross-cultural connections through collaborative events and activities both in person and online.

The multi award-winning festival takes place during, British Food Fortnight, a national celebration of all that is local and seasonal during the traditional harvest time.

Most events are free of charge, but some fringe events are ticketed – see the website www.gingerandspicefest.co.uk & go to the What’s On section for further information.

The Festival – Ginger and Spice Festival