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Bury’s food festival defies the rain with a world of flavour and friendly chaos

Monday, 21 July 2025 12:23

By Dean Sampson, David Murphy

Dean Sampson from Roch Valley Radio with a hot dog longer than his arm. Credit: Andrew Croft

Rain and shine, Bury’s food and drink festival delivered a sensory feast and proved again why this annual bash is fast becoming a must-attend date in the calendar.

You know it’s a good weekend when you’re holding a half-eaten cuttlefish ball in one hand, a hot dog the length of your arm in the other, and dodging a child wielding a fudge sample like a lightsaber.

The Bury Food and Drink Festival took over the town centre again this weekend and, despite Friday’s clouds, Saturday's drizzle and Sunday's rain, thousands turned out to savour the flavours. I was lucky enough to be there with the Roch Valley Radio team, providing the soundtrack and soaking up the vibes with live entertainment from local artists on The Old Rock.

Centred around Kay Gardens and The Old Rock, this year’s lineup served up everything from fine pastries to spicy goat curry. With over 70 traders, many returning from last year and a few fresh faces, the highlight was a full Hong Kong market experience making its festival debut. It was loud, colourful, messy and delicious.

We saw it all: teriyaki skewers, mango sticky rice, cakes inspired by old Cantonese recipes. I queued at ‘Uncle E’s Bakes’ for something called a 'wife cake', a flaky pastry filled with candied winter melon. I’d never tried one before, but after accidentally sharing it with the team, we went back for some more. “We’ve had to restock twice already,” said one of the stallholders. “The cold hasn’t stopped anyone from eating!”

That energy carried through the whole site. Roch Valley Radio’s mobile trailer was parked just outside Bob and Berts on the Old Rock, where local musicians powered through cover sets and original songs while the air filled with the smell of jerk chicken. At times, it felt less like Bury and more like a Caribbean street party.

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The family-friendly buzz was as strong as the moonshine being handed out near Crown & Thistle Craft Bakery. From hand-tufted rugs to small-batch distillers showcasing unique infusions, the whole event was a mashup of global street food and homegrown creativity.

Even with the rain, the crowds kept coming. Umbrellas went up and appetites stayed strong. One woman told me she’d already tucked into sushi, Jamaican patties and churros, and was still eyeing up the fudge “for the walk home”.

Run by Bury BID and backed by the council and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, the free-to-attend festival is a proper celebration of local life, one that boosts both business and community spirit.

Town Centre Director, Nigel Shields, told us the goal was “a proper profile boost for Bury”, and it hit the mark. From coachloads on day trips to Bury Market regulars and curious first-timers, the town centre was packed all weekend.

By the time it wrapped up, I was back at the Roch Valley Radio trailer, feet sore, belly full, and pretty sure I’d just witnessed one of the best uses of public space we’ve seen all year. Bury didn’t just host a festival, it cooked up a storm.

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