Bridport Food & Drink Festival

BFM’s Big Tea Tent

June 2026 - Bridport Food and Drink Festival

What a day. What a team. What a corner of a festival.

Tucked into the back right of the Bridport Food and Drink Festival this summer, Bridport Food Matters' Big Tea Tent — sponsored by Oxford's Bakery — and the adjoining Creative Young Cooks tent became something far greater than the sum of their parts. Fuelled by tea, cakes, and savoury snacks made with local ingredients, and powered by more than 50 volunteers giving their time and energy, this little corner of the festival hummed with life, laughter, and a genuine sense of care for the future of food in our community.

A Team Effort to Be Proud Of

None of this happens without people. Over 50 volunteers were involved — serving teas and food in the Big Tea Tent, running hands-on cooking workshops in the Creative Young Cooks tent, leading arts and gardening activities for younger children, chatting to people about what we do, setting up, taking down, and of course making Peas in a Podcast happen. To every single one of you: thank you. Your commitment and warmth made the day what it was.

Peas in a Podcast — Live and in the Pod

Our young interviewers sat down with food producers, suppliers, and experts for some genuinely fascinating conversations — thought-provoking, warm, and at times wonderfully surprising. Thank you so much to every interviewer and interviewee who gave their time and knowledge so generously. The full interviews will be available on the website in the coming months, and we think they're very much worth a listen.

And keeping spirits high between interviews? Our brilliant walk-around Peas in a Pod act — those larger-than-life green characters you can see in the photo — who wandered the festival making everyone smile and brought a huge dose of fun and silliness to the day. They were an absolute joy.

Creative Young Cooks & Children's Activities

Alongside the podcast, the Creative Young Cooks tent was buzzing with drop-in workshops, and the children's arts and gardening activities drew in families throughout the day. Watching young people get hands-on — whether cooking, growing, or creating — was inspiring.

Thank You

Thank you to everyone who came to listen, to participate, to cook, to chat, and to cheer the peas on. Thank you to Oxford's Bakery for sponsoring the Big Tea Tent, and to every single person who made this day what it was.

This is what community food culture looks like. We can't wait to do it again.