A programme of unique, limited edition and unusual culinary experiences has come together throughout Autumn, to create a season of events in Norwich that is unlike anything the city has seen before. Let your imagination soar as you take part in an immersive theatre-dinner on board on Airbus A380; join some of the biggest culinary names in the country at the inaugural Assembly House Food Festival; feast on a one-off whisky dinner collaboration between Great British Menu winner Richard Bainbridge, and the award-winning English Whisky Company; in October get to know food like you've never seen in before, at the Norwich Science Festival.

The Norwich food scene has erupted over the past year. Recently we've seen more and more vegan businesses open and flourish in the city, and Norwich Market has undergone its own food renaissance, attracting attention from all over the country. With a high number of independent eateries, talented local chefs and imaginative menus built upon local produce, Norwich really does have food to fall in love with this Autumn. 

NEW

Gastronomic – Premiere immersive theatre on an Airbus A380, 6 – 22 September
At Stage Two, Norwich Theatre Royal discover a new immersive theatre and 5-course taster menu on board an Airbus A380. Attended by three local chefs, 40 'passengers' will be treated to a meal, simultaneously watching their own in-flight screen at each performance. They will fly over oceans, deserts and rainforests whilst the food will accompany the stories about how and why these chefs came to be there.

The Assembly House Food Festival, September - November
The inaugural Assembly House Food Festival brings a whole new flavour to the House, with a wonderful mix of performance, dining and fun events. The Assembly House in the heart of Norwich is one of the city's finest examples of Georgian architecture. Frequented in the 19th century by local gentry, today the House is an 11-bedroom boutique B&B, restaurant, opulent afternoon tea venue, arts hub and home to the Richard Hughes Cookery School.

- For one-night only see a pop-up screening of the film Chocolat, complete with a chocolate inspired afternoon tea.
- Game masterclass & lunch with Jose L Souto (House of Commons, The Ritz, The Savoy Grill)
- An introduction to food writing with Andy Lynes (columnist, author, Masterchef semi-finalist)
- Dinner with Karl Goward of Shepherds of Westminster
- David Clayton's Parade of Puddings
- One Man in his Apron; Richard Hughes
- The School of Chocolate with UK Chocolate Ambassador Gary Hunt
- The Ten (Food) Commandments by Jay Rayner

Richard Bainbridge and The English Whisky Company collaboration for one-night, 17 September
Richard Bainbridge's menu for his 4-course dinner has barley and whisky at its heart. Highlights will include a delicate broth seasoned with the award-winning Norfolk Parched Whisky and served with Jerusalem artichokes and fresh truffle in addition to white chocolate, marmalade with malted barley and whisky ice-cream.  When the English Whisky Company began in 2006 it was the first English whisky distillery to open in 120 years. Their whisky is batch made by hand (no computers!), filled into casks and then left to sleep until it's considered perfect for bottling, which they also do by hand - one bottle at a time. English Whisky has won several awards including 2017 European Whisky of the Year with 'Chapter 14' and European Whisky of the Year 2018 for 'Norfolk Parched Whisky'. Tickets £75.

Louis'
Louis' Deli in Upper St Giles in the Norwich Lanes has been a local institution for over 20 years. This autumn sees the deli become Louis': café by day and Les Garrigues by night, as two independent businesses join forces. Les Garrigues offers French wines from natural vineyards with wine priced more affordably than in restaurants.  

The Ivy Norwich Brasserie
The latest addition to The Ivy Collection opens its doors in a beautiful historic building located in the heart of the Norwich Lanes on London Street. Its setting on one of Norwich's best-known pedestrianised streets makes alfresco dining in pretty surrounds available for the first time into the evening. Inside, the colourful and stylish décor gives a nod to Norwich scenes whilst the cocktail menu includes exciting new drinks inspired by local stories, such as Felbrigg Gardens and Iceni Martini (Boudicca, Queen of the Iceni's has just been named number 14 in the BBC History Magazine's '100 women who changed the world'). 

High Sea at the Grosvenor Fish Bar
The High Sea is the fishy sister to High Tea! For over 90 years the Grosvenor has been selling fish and chips from its corner spot in Pottergate in the Norwich Lanes.  Today the Grosvenor never sits still, launching new products on a regular basis. The latest – High Sea – is a 3-tiered fishy extravaganza featuring mini-clam sliders, cod cheeks, prawns, goujons, whitebait, dips and chips. Cost: for two £29; for one £15.

The Great Market guided walking tours, £7.50 including tastings, 1 hour.
For those who love a slice of history with their lunch, The Great Market tour is the answer. Recently Norwich Market (the largest 6-day-a-week permanent market in the UK) has seen an influx of wonderful artisan food stands open offering food from around the world. Discover/experience tastings with historic facts, covering 940 years of buying and selling, the growth of the medieval market, the market as a place of execution and entertainment, the long-lost Market Cross, pubs, and so much more.         

FOOD EVENTS IN NORWICH

Porkstock, Royal Norfolk Show Ground, free day, £20 Evening Knees Up, 13 October
The daytime family-friendly programme at Porkstock is all about fun whilst celebrating local produce. This year Porkstock – which started as a small event for a group of friends in a brewery – is hosting its largest food demo kitchen by far, with some of the best and most established chefs and chef proprietors of independent restaurants and food businesses in the county.  The line-up includes:

- Richard Bainbridge, Great British Menu winner, presenter, chef proprietor 2 AA Rosette Benedicts 
- Richard Hughes, chef proprietor of The Assembly House Norwich, columnist, author
- Kate Barmby, Great British Bake Off, columnist, farmer
- Dan Smith, chef proprietor The Ingham Swan and Great British Menu contestant
- Andrew Jones, chef proprietor Farmyard & The Dial House
- Roger Hickman chef proprietor 3AA Rosette Roger Hickman's Restaurant
- Iain McCarten, chef The Last Wine Bar
- Producers: Matt Cockin at Fruit Pig and Candi Robertson of Candi's Chutney

The Evening Knees Up enjoys a mainstage of live music with headliners Cut Capers (Glastonbury, Latitude and Bestival) plus street food, Real Ale Bar, Cider Bar, Prosecco Bar, Gin Palace and Van Vino's Rum Bar. 

Norwich Science Festival, 19 – 27 October (free and paid events)
Norwich Science Festival is now in its third year. As the name suggests, it's bursting with experiments, tests, exhibitions, shows, activities and food science. This year's foodie events include: Bakineering in Space with Andrew Smyth (Great British Bake Off); Health Benefits of Dark Chocolate Green Tea and Broccoli; Dinner with a Difference - an evening of delicious food and diverting facts in the company of two scientists and a chef; DNA Detectives: DNA Extraction from Bananas; Is There More to Food Than Taste and Flavour and Discovering Our Forgotten Senses.

Norwich Beer Festival, 22 – 27 October 2018
Norwich Beer Festival is the largest provincial beer festival in the country. Run by CAMRA the festival offers over 200 cask-conditioned Real Ales from Britain's independent brewers, with over 70 varieties of traditional ciders and perries from East Anglia as well as draught and bottled beers from Continental Europe. The Halls venue is an historic site in Norwich, dating back to 1307 and the Dominican Blackfriars.

Notes to editors

For more information and high res images please contact Melanie Cook PR Manager, 01603 559574 melanie.cook@visitnorwich.co.uk.

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About VisitNorwich

•             VisitNorwich is the destination marketing organisation for the Norwich area and is the tourism destination marketing function of Norwich Business Improvement District - www.visitnorwich.co.uk and www.cityofstories.co.uk. 
            

•             VisitNorwich is a discreet membership organisation within Norwich BID and its activities are funded by members, public sector stakeholders, including Norwich City Council and directly by Norwich BID.

•             VisitNorwich's sole focus is to promote and develop the destination and support its members through collaborative marketing, research, information and business advice.

•             Total value of tourism in Norwich is £731,036,375 including 11,635,900 trips (day and staying) - Destination Research: Economic Impact of Tourism report 2016.

•             In 2018 Norfolk/Norwich featured in The Guardians hotlist for Where to go on holiday in 2018 – the hotlist.