Broadstairs Food Festival is heating up with a full programme of award-winning exhibitors and a vibrant Kitchen Theatre schedule.

Returning from Friday 2 to Sunday 4 October 2026, the free festival will combine an outstanding food and drink offering with live music at the Bandstand, a packed Kitchen Theatre programme and new community initiatives.

Visitors can explore an extensive selection of hot food, artisan produce and specialist drinks from independent businesses based in Kent, the wider region and beyond.

Entry remains completely free, along with the live music and most of the Kitchen Theatre programme. Tickets are only required for the special wine and beer tastings.

This year’s festival begins a new chapter as Katherine Wyatt takes the helm for the first time as festival director.

Katherine said: “This is the first step in my journey with Broadstairs Food Festival. I want to build on everything people already love while finding new ways for the festival to support its community. Running a small food, drink or hospitality business is challenging. Rising costs are putting real pressure on business owners, making it more important than ever to create affordable opportunities, connect businesses with new customers and encourage people to support independents.”

A new Community Stalls initiative will invite local food and drink start-ups to take a one-day pitch, giving new businesses an affordable way to test their products, meet customers, build confidence and gain valuable visibility.

Katherine continued: “We cannot solve every challenge, but we can lower barriers, create opportunities and use the festival’s reach to help brilliant people and ideas get noticed. We also want the benefits to extend beyond the festival arena by encouraging visitors to explore Broadstairs and support its independent shops, restaurants and pubs. I’ve been blown away by how much our directors and volunteers put into making the festival happen. The time, energy and care they give is extraordinary, and most of it happens quietly behind the scenes. Their commitment makes me even more determined to protect the festival’s future and inspire a new generation to get involved.”

Community and sustainability will run throughout the weekend. Any profits generated by the festival’s reusable cup scheme will be donated to a local food bank, supporting people experiencing food insecurity in the area.

Quex Farms will bring its new seasonal vegetable box scheme to the festival, showcasing vegetables grown on Quex Estates and its commitment to making fresh, locally grown food more accessible. Its regenerative approach is rooted in sustainability, education and community.

Windmill Community Gardens Margate, where people, nature and food come together, will receive a festival space free of charge. This will allow the organisation to share its work with a wider audience, make new connections and encourage more people to get involved.

A new Buskers’ Point will create a dedicated space for local musicians and performers, giving emerging talent the opportunity to play for a ready-made festival audience.

The Festival Leaders programme will launch this autumn, giving younger people valuable, hands-on experience of working at a large community event. Participants will be able to develop practical and transferable skills, strengthen their CVs and receive references to support future employment.

The programme will also help develop a new generation of volunteers and event leaders, strengthening the future of Broadstairs Food Festival and the many other events that bring the local community together throughout the year.

The Kitchen Theatre has a star cast of chefs, authors, and food and drink experts appearing in free live cooking demonstrations and talks. The chef line-up includes Allister Barsby of two-Michelin-starred Hide and Fox; acclaimed chef Stephen Harris of The Sportsman; Margate-based MasterChef: The Professionals finalist Mark O’Brien; and local Broadstairs Chef, Ben Wood, formerly head chef at Barrafina, where he retained its Michelin star.

Also appearing are Snack Hacker George Egg, who will entertain with his rule-breaking recipes, and renowned food writer Niki Segnit, who will show audiences how to understand recipes and get creative with them.

Two ticketed tastings will help visitors sharpen their palates: a beer-tasting masterclass with Jona Jewitt and a selection of local ales, plus a blind wine tasting with wine educator Alex Prymaka.

Broadstairs Food Festival is a volunteer-run, not-for-profit Community Interest Company. Since 2008, it has worked to support independent businesses, bring visitors into Broadstairs and create a welcoming festival that remains free for everyone to enjoy.

For festival information and tasting tickets, visit: Festival Website