18 Feb Ely’s Eel Festival Weekend
Food Safari, Street Food and Our Food Tour! – We are very fortunate living in an area with an abundance of local produce and even more, having people here who want to celebrate it and share it with the rest of the world. It isn’t just the Cambridge food scene which is on a roll, but the home of Oliver Cromwell, better known as Ely is booming too. Over the last year Ely has seen some great new foodie places appearing on the local scene, the stunning Poets House, Samovar Teahouse, the microbrewery Liberty Belle and Roly’s fudge just a few to mention. One business, in particular, will catch your eye when you walk down the High street in Ely, Edis of Ely. This fine pork butcher has been trading in the city for more than 50 years and has won many awards for their excellent products, which they all made by hand on the premises. You can expect here more than the ordinary; a selection of 5 different hams, delicious sausages, handmade pork pies and burgers, chilli scotch eggs and pork and bacon burgers.
Since the arrival of Leah Johnson, who is heading up the kitchen at the Poets House, Ely now has a trendy style of cuisine too. But don’t be fooled into thinking, that Ely only serves Fenland cuisine. You’ll be surprised by the offering you’ll stumble across. Of course, there is the traditional (and not so traditional) cakes and afternoon tea at Peacock’s tearoom, which has become an institution over the years. Another well-known name is ‘the Old Fire Engine House’. One of the hidden gem’s, 3 AT 3 Deli, serves local beers, wine and tasting platters. Enough reasons to explore Ely through the eyes of a foodie I thought. A food tour of Ely will be on the cards on the 3rd of May. Further details will be announced soon.
What can you look forward to? – Come and celebrate the 10th birthday of Ely’s Eel Festival.
Friday 2 May
Launch of Ely’s Eel Festival Food Safari and City Centre Eel Throwing Competition
Ely’s Eel Festival Food Safari (all weekend)
You can eat your way through Ely this weekend. It will be a huge celebration of local fare. Local restaurants and cafés will have special “festival” dishes and menus embracing the eel theme. You can look forward to either delicious dishes and menus using eel or using the theme – eel-shaped biscuits, slippery eel cocktail etc. Just look out for the Eel Safari Logo and you know, that you can get your ‘eel fix’ there.
City Centre Eel Throwing Competition – 11 am, Market Place
Your chance to throw a stuffed sock!
As a warm up to the World Eel Throwing Competition held as part of Eel Festival on Saturday, they are inviting teams representing individual shops and businesses to compete for a trophy to be awarded City Centre Eel Throwing Business of the Year. No training, equipment or special clothing required just the ability to throw a stuffed sock in the shape of an eel!
Saturday 3rd May – Eel Day
Ely Street Muscioners’ Muster
Today the city centre of Ely will have colourful, period musical entertainment in a variety of locations throughout the day.
Market Street Food Fayre
Saturday’s Ely Market food will will have special offers, promotions and be visually outlined to promote street food throughout the day.
Food Tour of Ely
Building on the success of the Cambridge Food Tour, I will be showing you Ely through the eyes of a foodie. As with all our tours, you can expect the unexpected!
Eel Day
A parade will leave Cross Green at 10.30 am and processes to Jubilee Gardens where a host of entertainment and side stalls will be on display including the ever popular World Eel Throwing Competition and Town Crier Competition. This year they have invited individual shops and businesses to be involved in the parade. Individuals or teams can dress up or alternatively build an eel or a related themed item that can be used in the parade to make it longer than ever for the 10th year anniversary.
Sunday 4th May and Monday 5th May – Ely Food and Drink Festival
This new event will take place on Palace Green under the gaze of Ely Cathedral. As well as some large exhibitions, they have a fantastic line up of chef demonstrations running throughout the Festival with some well-known names soon to be announced! All our key artisan, specialist food and drink traders will be housed in our large Food Marquee providing lots of expert advice, information and tantalising tasters. Outside, The Street Food Place allows for discovery of a wide range of expertly cooked and served food. The Festival will be supported by the well established Flower, Food and Craft Market, a regular feature in Ely on bank holiday weekends, now in a new location for this weekend only, showcasing some of the best local produce and crafts in the area.
Further entertainment will be available throughout the city on the Sunday and Monday including a Fun Fair in Ely’s Market Place and historical walks from Ely Tourist Information Centre.
For more information on all these activities and many other fringe events keep checking out their Eel Festival Weekend page at www.visitely.org.uk
Gerla
We are the local experts in creating unique food tours and events with an in-depth knowledge of the local Cambridge food scene and close partnerships with local businesses.
