The nine best food and drink festivals in April

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You don’t have to travel across the world to have a seasoned wine palate – just go to the Cheltenham Wine Festival. At this event, you’ll have access to over 300 wines from over 13 countries for just £22.50. With wine from Australian to Argentina, you’ll be sure to find a new favourite. This walk-around wine tasting will be at the Pittville Pump Room, which is just a 15-minute walk from the city centre. Make sure to purchase tickets in advance because this is a popular event you won’t want to miss.

There are four things you need in life to really enjoy yourself: coffee, food, music and art; the London Coffee Festival has all of them. Here you can go to a barista workshop to learn how to make latte art at home, or, if you want to sit back and relax, sip on an espresso martini while you watch live music in Hyde Park. No matter what you choose to do at this festival, we can guarantee you’ll leave happy, and caffeinated. Tickets to the event range in price, starting at £16. ​

At the Taste of Cumbria food festival in Kirkby Lonsdale, you can try all the types of food native to the North-west in one place. Around 40 food stalls will be serving local treats – from the Cambrian Pie Company to Seasons Bakery. This day event will also have a gin garden, beer festival, street theatre and live music. Wrap up your indulgent weekend by visiting the pop-up restaurant hosted by Oli Martin, the head chef at Hipping Hall, a nearby boutique hotel. The pop-up will take place at the rectory behind St Mary’s church and will have a beautiful view over the Lune valley. If you are interested in snagging a seat to this event, make sure to buy the £109 tickets well in advance.

For this event you’ll need your passport, but not your real one. Get an Oyster Passport for £10 to get discounts at restaurants all over London serving your favourite oyster dishes. The best part? The funds raised from this festival go to the native oyster restoration project; so you’ll be able to enjoy the oyster roast, oyster masterclass and oyster mixology experience, knowing you are also protecting the species. You won’t want to miss out on this first-time event, organised by the Oyster Lady, a UK-based oyster and events specialist.

You know something is good when it’s still going strong after 10 years, and The Porthleven Food and Music Festival is no exception. Last year, 30,000 people attended the three day event which is well known for showcasing locally grown produce. This year, the festival will have an oyster bar, cocktail terrace and an abundance of street food. Don’t forget, this year the theme is anti-plastic, so come prepared with your refillable water bottle. Entrance is free to the main event, but a few events require you to buy tickets to access them.

To mark the beginning of the beloved British asparagus season, the festival of the same name celebrates the delicacy of Vale of Evesham Asparagus and will last nearly two months. To learn more about the prized vegetable, take a ride on the Asparabus Tour, where you can sit back, relax and view the Vale countryside. Don’t forget to meet Gus the Asparagus Man and watch the Asparagus eating competition. After all, a little healthy competition never hurt anyone! Although VIP tickets are already sold out, you can still get tickets for the Asparagus Express for £25.

For the first time ever, the Paisley Food and Drink Festival has been expanded to two days, and you’ll need the extra time to experience everything this festival has to offer. At this event, you can celebrate the best food and drink in Scotland. It will also have live music and Scotland’s largest ale festival. Don’t forget to bring all your friends, as there are gluten-free, vegan and halal options suitable for any diet. Don’t forget to bring some cash so you can buy tickets to the Paisley beer festival for £6 and the Pitt Street food market for £2.

This festival, known as a celebration of all things spring, is sure to get rid of all the winter gloom in your life. To put a spring in your step, sample a range of meats, cheeses and fruits at the marketplace. If you have a bit more of an appetite, fill up on the many street food options, including cheese-smothered burritos and fresh naan breads. Then wash it all down with a drink at the prosecco tent or gin garden. Afterwards, you can take a free yoga class, learn to knit, or talk to gardening experts who’ll teach you how to grow herbs and plants this spring. For the kids, there’s a petting zoo and vintage-style fairground rides to keep them entertained. Adults must pay £7 for a day pass and £12.50 for a weekend pass, but kids under 14 get free entry.

Whether you’ve never had a sip of whisky or you consider yourself a whisky connoisseur, you are sure to learn something new about Scotland’s national drink at the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival. Speyside, the biggest whisky-producing region in Scotland, will have nearly 500 whisky-inspired events during the five-day festival, including distillery tours, whisky art exhibitions, whisky tumbler carving workshops and of course, whisky tastings. To keep things interesting, this festival isn’t hosted at one venue, but will take place all across the region, from village halls to historic castles. It’s important to note that each festival event is priced individually, ranging from £30 to £300.