A celebration in the growing & use of herbs
with expert talks, gardening workshops and cookery demonstrations
Jekka's HerbFest
Jekka's HerbFest is a three-day event running from Friday 30th June to Sunday 2nd July 2023, which will be filled with expert talks, gardening workshops and cookery demonstrations from Jekka and her team, plus Friends of Jekka’s.
We are also having Jekka’s Herbetum and Herb Garden tours, a range of artisan stalls as well as music from Phil King & friends.
The National Institute of Medical Herbalists will also be at Jekka’s HerbFest 2023 with their Health and Wellbeing Zone. They will be chatting to visitors about amazing medicinal properties of herbs and provide onsite advice.
The food on the day will be provided by Bristol’s Folk House Cafe & Bar whose ethos is ‘local, sustainable, ethical & nutritious’.
Below is the programme for Saturday 1st July 2023. Each day runs from 09:30 am to 4:30 pm.
Festival Ground
We are so excited about Jekka's HerbFest and have organised a wonderful festival with two demonstration tents, food provided by the Folkhouse Cafe, the National Institute of Medical Herbalist Health and Wellbeing Zone and a selection of artisan stalls. All on the backdrop of Jekka's Herbetum and Jekka's Herb Garden.
Jekka's Marquee is where the cookery demonstrations and presentations will be occurring. This is a chance for visitors to watch the speakers practice their craft and hear handy tips that they can take home.
| Time | Speaker |
| 10:00 - 10:45 |
Bee McGovern - Fresh herbal tea mastery – tasty infusions and powerful medicines Bee is passionate about sharing her knowledge and encouraging reconnection with nature at all levels. Bee is a Medical Herbalist and Botanist with over 15 years clinical experience. Education and empowerment are key to her work and alongside her successful clinical practice she runs herb walks and workshops, including experience days at her own medicinal herb garden in Whitchurch. Nature is her teacher, friend and healer. |
| 11:30 - 12:15 |
Arit Anderson - Nature as Nurture: Can Gardens Heal the World? Arit Anderson is a garden and landscaper designer, writer, podcaster and TV presenter. She is a Chartered Member of the Landscape Institute, Trustee for the National Garden Scheme, RHS Ambassador for the Environment and Community, and co-founder of the Sustainable Landscape Foundation. Working as presenter for Gardeners World and writing for national publications has enabled Arit to publicise issues about the future of gardening in an ever-changing climate, and promote solutions to the wider public. |
| 13:00 - 13:45 |
Charles Dowding - No Dig Beauty Charles has made no dig popular and widely used. He develops and explains other time and labour saving methods of gardening, high yielding and nature friendly. Including quick ways of growing and picking salad leaves, multi-sowing vegetables to grow in clumps, making and using compost. Charles' mission is to encourage as many people as possible to grow their own. Gardening with the no dig method is beneficial for a healthy mind and body, and protects soil life. Carbon is trapped in the ground so there is a general benefit too. |
| 14:30 - 15:15 |
Nathan Outlaw - Fish for dinner Widely seen as a master of fish cookery, Nathan is owner of the self-titled Restaurant Nathan Outlaw (2 Michelin stars) and the less formal Outlaw’s Fish Kitchen (1 Michelin star) in Port Isaac, Cornwall. Having achieved many accolades throughout his career, Waitrose & Partners Good Food Guide scored Restaurant Nathan Outlaw a rare ten out of ten in 2019 and 2020. Nathan has appeared on BBC’s Saturday Kitchen and Masterchef, the Professionals and has published 5 books; the latest being ‘Fish for Dinner’, a collection of seafood recipes. |
Please note, you do not need to book a place at these talks
Informal chats led by Kate Durr with experts in their fields. Jekka's Gardeners' Corner will hold a number of "in conversation" sessions throughout the day. Pop in and ask the expert a question to help your allotment burst or garden bloom.
| Time | In conversation with |
| 10:45 - 11:30 |
Chris Collins Head of Organic Horticulture at Garden Organic and formerly BBC Blue Peter Gardener and Head Gardener at Westminster Abbey. In 2007, Chris was awarded the Duke of Edinburgh medal for his services to horticulture and has also worked overseas in both Cameroon and Japan. |
| 12:15 - 13:00 |
Richard Rickitt Richard Rickitt is co-editor of BeeCraft, the UK's best-selling beekeeping magazine. Richard has been keeping bees for more than twenty years and, as well as his own bees, keeps hives for a number of commercial and private clients. He is beekeeper at Westonbirt, the National Arboretum, and teaches beekeeping courses around the UK. He frequently speaks on the subject here, abroad, and on radio and TV, making him one of the UK's best-known beekeepers. He has written hundreds of articles on the subject and is author of the forthcoming book Beekeeping for Gardeners (Bloomsbury). |
| 13:45 - 14:30 |
Arit Anderson Arit Anderson is a garden and landscaper designer, writer, podcaster and TV presenter. She is a Chartered Member of the Landscape Institute, Trustee for the National Garden Scheme, RHS Ambassador for the Environment and Community, and co-founder of the Sustainable Landscape Foundation. Working as presenter for Gardeners World and writing for national publications has enabled Arit to publicise issues about the future of gardening in an ever-changing climate, and promote solutions to the wider public. |
| 15:15 - 16:00 | Gardeners' Question Time |
Please note, you do not need to book a place at these talks
Jekka's Herbetum Tours
Jekka's Herbetum contains Jekka's collection of culinary herbs grouped into families in separate raised beds. It is an educational resource to inspire the amateur, professional or enthusiast.
Join Jekka, a members of her team, a bee expert or a member of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists for an informative guided tour.
The tour schedule is:
- 10:00: Jean Vernon's Bee Walk
- 11:00: Jekka's Herb Tour
- 12:00: National Institute of Medical Herbalists Walk
- 13:00: Jean Vernon's Bee Walk
- 14:00: Jekka's Herb Tour
- 15:00: National Institute of Medical Herbalists Walk
National Institute of Medical Herbalist
The Institute cannot wait to share with everyone the amazing medicinal properties of herbs.
In their Health and Wellbeing Zone they will have qualified herbalists with them throughout the weekend, who will be able to chat through your health with you in a private setting and look at how herbs may be able to help you.
They will have plenty of herbs in both their plant and medicinal forms for you to explore, and will also give you the opportunity to mix your own herbal tea to take home. If you are bringing younger herbal enthusiasts they will have some great activities for them to get stuck into, leaving you free to chat to one of their experts about how to forage or grow your own healthcare, how you could learn more about herbalism, and what consulting a medical herbalist involves.
Find more about the Health and Wellbeing Zone through the link below.
Phil King & friends
Phil King & friends will be playing twice a day next to the Folk House Café and Jekka's Herb Garden. Grab some food, a Gin & Tonic or a cider and enjoy his beautiful, soulful singing voice:
- 12:00: Phil King with Joe Wilkins
- 14:00: Phil King with Joe Wilkins, Matt Brown and Ruth Hammond
Artisan Stalls
Local artisan businesses will be selling their crafts from delicious herb chocolates and ice creams to natural remedies. We are delighted to be joined by:
- 6 O'clock Gin
- Amy West
- Cameler Spice Co
- Gilbert & Swayne
- Honey's Cider
- Seilich
- Shorkk
- South Gloucestershire Beekeepers Association
- The Coffee Lada; and
- The Village Pottery
Plus stalls by the NFU Mutual Thornbury, Riverstone and Ice Cream from Ivor's Ice Cream.
Jekka's café will be open selling her herbal infusions, homemade cakes, coffee and tea as well as her shop selling tools and gifts.
