New Food and Farming Race Day at Wincanton

A new event in the local racing and food calendar makes its debut at Wincanton Racecourse on Sunday 23rd March.

The Food and Farming Race Day will have a robust rural focus with many of the area's leading producers, growers, bakers, cheese-makers and cider-makers selling their wares.

The farmers market, with more than 30 stalls on the Paddock Lawn, will showcase the very best of what Somerset, Dorset and the surrounding area have to offer. There will also be demonstrations with a leading local chef and young cooks in the Dorset Farmers Market mobile kitchen.

Keeping the emphasis on all things local, Wincanton's Food and Farming Race Day has recruited Glastonbury-based Claire Whiteley for a 25-minute sheepdog and duck herding display to music. There will also be complimentary children's entertainment ranging from the traditional bouncy castles, to happy bouncers, ball ponds and obstacle courses.

Award-winning chef Brett Sutton, who has the White Post Inn at Rimpton, between Sherborne and Marston Magna, will be in the Dorset Farmers Market mobile kitchen, demonstrating and supporting two young would-be chefs from King Arthur's School at Wincanton. Brett, who has won awards from Taste of the West and the Taste of Dorset, visited the school and met the Year 10 GCSE catering students and two lucky young people will be cooking with him at the Food and Farming Race Day. The audience will get a chance to taste their food.

Food producers from across Somerset and Dorset, including members of Dorset Farmers Markets, Levels Best and Somerset Farmers Markets, will be selling their produce in the market area. Look out for some of the region's best known farmers and producers, including Kimber's Meats from Charlton Musgrove, Fussells Fine Foods from near Frome, Mere Fish Farm, Ham Hill Cider and several leading cheesemakers including Annette Lee of Woolsery Cheese in Dorset's Sydling valley, whose Nanette was the top goats cheese in the 2013 British Cheese Awards.

If you are a fan of great British baking, there is a treat in store at the race day with stalls including Sherborne's artisan Bakery Cafe and the Baking Birds, multi-award winning Lizzie Crow and Bekki Bemrose who make a vast range of delicious bakes and cakes at their Windsbatch Bakery at Upwey.

There will also be chocolate, honey, pork pies, sausages, organic and biodynamic vegetables, gourmet marshmallows, chillies, fudge, eggs and olives – all locally produced, made or grown."

All this plus a packed seven-race card, attracting entries from some of National Hunt racing's top players will guarantee that Wincanton's inaugural Food and Farming Race Day will offer a full day's entertainment for all the family.

Steve Parlett, General Manager, Wincanton Racecourse, says:

"Wincanton is rural racing at its best and with a large proportion of race-goers immersed in farming, we knew that this themed race day would strike a chord. Fanny Charles and the Wincanton team have done a marvellous job planning the event and we look forward to celebrating and enjoying some of the West Country's finest produce."

Fanny Charles says:

"I was thrilled to support our local racecourse in staging their first ever Food and Farming Race Day. Somerset and Dorset traders have welcomed the opportunity and we look forward to a day of great local food and great racing!

"We have had great support from Dorset Farmers Markets, Somerset's Levels Best and from many Somerset Farmers Market members, and we look forward to working with all three organisations next year."

For more information or to book tickets contact 0844 579 3014 or visit www.wincantonracecourse.co.uk.

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