Upmarket British supermarket Waitrose will host its first-ever drinks festival in London on 16 and 17 September. Celebrating the food and drink available at Waitrose, the festival will be open to the public and include masterclasses, workshops and a rooftop barbecue.
With over 200 Waitrose drinks producers taking part at the Institute of Engineering and Technology in London, the various themed rooms will offer an opportunity for guests to sample a range of spirits, beers, ciders and wines, as well as an extensive selection of speciality foods.
There will be wines, sparkling wines and champagne from around the world.
Guests can taste New Zealand Sauvignon to Bordeaux. There will also be a wide range of English wines on offer.
Premium spirit brands will be showcasing top dark spirits, e.g. whiskey, rum, bourbon, brandy, cognacs and liqueurs, alongside light spirits such as gin, vodka and cocktails.
There will also be a wide range of locally produced beer, as well as ciders from the English countryside.
Confirmed suppliers include Hobgoblin, Meantime, Chase, Pedrino, Heineken and Sipsmith, with the roof terrace offering bars hosted by Goose Island Vodka, Codorniu Cavas and Mirabeau.
The Waitrose Cookery School will be demonstrating dishes, with drink matches provided by There's a Beer for That and Spanish producers Gonzales Byass. Murray Barlow, a winemaker at Rustenberg, Green & Black's, and the Wine & Spirit Education Trust will also be at the festival, sharing their expertise during various showcases.
Anne Jones, category manager for wines, beers and spirits at Waitrose, said, "We've been wanting to do a customer event with our favourite food and drink suppliers for such a long time.
"Our close relationship with suppliers means that we are able to open a fantastic range of tasting rooms to provide Waitrose fans with the opportunity to try highlights from all of our ranges under one roof."
© 2016 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. To subscribe to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine, click here.
