Rutland will soon be showcased as the county of good taste as Rutland Food & Drink Week begins this weekend.

Rutland is well known for being a rural county bursting with fantastic food and drink producers, alongside an array of exceptional places to eat, hence being referred to as The County of Good Taste.

Discover Rutland celebrates this with a collection of events, special menus and promotions throughout the Discover Rutland Food & Drink Week, which takes place 23 – 30 September 2023.

There will be a range of events throughout the week, starting on 23 September with Wine Tasting & Light Lunch at Hambleton Hall, where Sommelier Dominique will introduce you to a flight of 7 fine wines form the new Spanish wine regions. 

Browse the Artisan Market at Rockingham Castle on 23 and 24 of the month, showcasing a range of food, drink and craft produce on the stunning grounds, offering superb views over the Welland Valley. 

Oakham Castle will host the September Food & Drink Festival. Image credit: Nub News.

Oakham will play host to the popular Rutland Food & Drink Festival on Sunday 24 September from 11am until 4pm. Organised by Carolyn Acton Events, Oakham Castle grounds will by bustling with activities and there will be food, drink and craft stalls inside the castle, around the grounds and throughout the Market Place and Mill Street.

Beer lovers should book themselves a spot at The Olive Branch on Thursday 28 September for their Round Corner Brewery Beer Dinner, an evening with a curated 6 course menu to match the range of classic, rare, seasonal and special beers inspired by the character of the brewery's thriving agricultural home.

Plus there will be a Rutland Grape Grazing Festival at Mallard Point Vineyard & Winery on Saturday 30 September, a Multum Gin Parvo Gin Bar at Rutland Nursery on 30 and The Grainstore Brewery's Oktoberfest will be running from 28 September to 1 October.

The Grainstore will host a weekend-long event to mark Rutland Food & Drink Week. Image credit: The Grainstore Brewery.

Throughout the week you can enjoy the nature trail around The Rutland Vineyard near Ketton, or challenge yourself at the adventure golf at The Dairy Barn Café, where it's almost obligatory to indulge in tasting one of their tempting homemade ice-cream flavours.

Pop into one of Rutland's fantastic farm shops, from the smaller premises of Farmer Lou's near Exton and Northfield Farm near Cold Overton, to the larger New Lodge Farm or Gates Farm Shop, you can support local producers, lower your food miles and eat scrumptious meals. 

There will also be a range of promotions and special menus around the county, including at Ovation Wine & Spirit Bar, The George, GA Kitchen and Warner's Traditional Sweets in Oakham, Lake Isle, The Falcon, Don Paddy's and The Vaults in Uppingham plus Farmer Lou's, Hoggy's Grill, The Fox, The Olive Branch, The White Horse and Castle Chase Beef. 

The White Horse, which has recently been taken over, will also join the fun of Rutland Food & Drink Week. Image credit: Nub News.

Tune into Rutland and Stamford Sound throughout the week to hear about local venues joining the annual programme of events.

Alternatively, read all about the Rutland & Stamford Sound endeavour to secure a DAB or FM license.

Discover Rutland will also be launching the new Rutland Food & Drink Trail, which highlights the range of fantastic producers, eateries and farm shops in the area, plus it features two new cycle trails to help you explore the county. 

Find out more about the September celebrations of all things food and drink in Rutland on the Discover Rutland website.

The Discover Rutland Food & Drink Week will take place 23 – 30 September 2023. Image credit: Discover Rutland.

Don't forget, you can share your own events, initiatives and upcoming news with us by emailing [email protected]. Alternatively, head to our What's On page for local events and more taking place across Rutland.

We look forward to hearing from you.