Feast On: Bristol’s gateway to food heaven

Based in the heart of Bristol, Feast On was born out of a passion for both the city and the restaurants in it. Created by food enthusiast James Haggart, Feast On is a Bristol food festival dedicated to exploring not just the finer things in life but also the little things that make us happy.

Decorated with local stalls of authentic cuisines, attendees can enjoy some of the city’s finest food offerings while surrounded by beautiful scenery. Showcasing evident pride and joy for Feast On, we got to speak to James about Feast On’s success, plans for the future, and why this food festival should be the next place you attend this summer.  

Starting his journey into the culinary world from a young age, being around food for James was the norm. When asked where his passion for food came from, James replied, “I used to be a chef when I was younger. When I was 10 or 11 I used to make loads of cakes for charity days at school and the counter at home would be full of all these little, delicious cupcakes.” His journey continued into adulthood, where he went on to work at fine dining restaurants.

After honing his culinary skills and moving to Bristol, James took an interest in music events. Today, he merges his two passions with Feast On. However, this isn’t James’ first dabble in working at a food festival: “I was involved in another food festival called the South Glos Food Festival”. It was here he discovered his love for food events, which got the ball rolling for him to eventually start his own. With hopes of “creating a space to celebrate all the amazing and local independent restaurants in the centre of Bristol” the journey of Feast On began.

Located “on Clifton Downs, a beautiful and spacious green area perched in the centre of Bristol”, Feast On has become a much-needed part of Bristol showcasing the culture, and putting the Bristol food scene on the map.

“One of the biggest reasons I love the city, being home to some of my personal favourite restaurants of all time.”

 With “more and more incredible restaurants and traders being born in Bristol, and the quality of food going from strength to strength,” Feast On was the perfect way to showcase that.

The festival has been paving the way as the most prominent food festival in Bristol, but for those who don’t know about Feast On, it’s the perfect day out for the family. Having aesthetics in mind, James wanted Feast On to be, “an inviting, comforting and visually exciting space for our traders, restaurants, and attendees to come together. As traders sit lining the festival, on the inside we have a colourful fairground, a chic banquet hall to sit and enjoy your food, with an additional eating space this year in the centre.”

With the idea to make it a place for everyone to enjoy that goes beyond the food, you’ll also be able to catch live music, as well as a “covered produce market and, for the party lovers, a small DJ booth to dance through the sunset. Not to mention the cookery school and wine-tasting experiences available,” it’s an unforgettable experience that’ll have any foodie drooling. 

With James and the Feast On team putting their all into making something enjoyable and worthwhile, upon asking James what he enjoys most about hosting Feast On each year, he said, “It's a really nice feeling knowing that, however big or small, you’re helping boost the city that you love.” Expanding on that, he loves creating a space for “people of all ages and backgrounds to come together and share the delights of Bristol in a joyful escape.”

Photo: Feast On team at Feast On 2024

Enforcing the local aspect of the festival, James’ aim for Feast On that sets them apart from other food festivals is that “it really champions and celebrates Bristol’s culinary culture. We’re bringing together the best food Bristol has to offer in one place, where people can enjoy bites from their favourite restaurants, whilst discovering new tastes from others.” At Feast On, you can catch a range of entertainment and education, from live music and crazy golf, to food sustainability talks and a future of food experience,” making it a one-of-a-kind festival. 

This year, Feast On runs from Thursday 24th - Sunday 27th of July 2025, and has some big plans to keep you coming back for more all weekend, with a new addition coming to the grounds including Pasture, “one of the best steak houses in the city”, who will have “an open fire cooking set up” so you can look in on all the action. Another addition to look forward to is Japanese stall Eatchu, who specialise in dumplings and gyozas. James, who would “go to their stall about two or three times a week when it first opened in about 2016”, spoke of being “ecstatic to have them on board.” However, that isn’t all. With some “really exciting names yet to be announced”, keep your eyes peeled on their socials for announcements!

Feast On has been a massive success that is bound to keep getting bigger and better, showcasing all the gems across Bristol that you may have missed. And with such a jampacked year ahead of them, we asked what else this stunning food festival has in store: “After such a successful first year, we just want to keep growing what we have in Bristol and continue spreading the love for independent restaurants.” Dedicated to sharing his passion for food, James mentioned, “we do have a cool new concept for a food festival in Reading called Let’s Feast, which will be a spin-off version of Feast On, celebrating Reading’s food scene,” and if it’s anything like Feast On, we can’t wait to see it. 

Feast On commences this July from Thursday 24th to Sunday 27th. With tickets always selling out at mass speed, this isn’t one to miss out on. So get into the hype, scroll down, and fill your belly this summer with some of the best food you could ever imagine!

To find out more information about Feast On, and their yummy food festival attractions click - HERE

Check out our What's On Guide to discover even more rowdy raves and sweaty gigs taking place over the coming weeks and months. For festivals, lifestyle events and more, head on over to our Things To Do page or be inspired by the event selections on our Inspire Me page.

Header image credit: Feast On/ Facebook.com

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