A celebration in the growing & use of herbs
with expert talks, gardening workshops and cookery demonstrations
Jekka's HerbFest
Jekka is very excited about hosting the first ever Jekka's HerbFest.
"Join me for a herb filled celebration at our farm"
Jekka's HerbFest is a three-day event running from Friday 2nd July to Sunday 4th July 2021, 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 tours, meet the maker sessions from our artisan stalls as well as music from Road Not Taken, a Bristol-based four piece starting to make waves on the UK folk scene. The National Institute of Medical Herbalists will also be at Jekka’s HerbFest and will be able to chat 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 Sunday 4th July. Each day runs from 10:00 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, an area for the National Institute of Medical Herbalist and a selection of artisan stalls. All on the backdrop of Jekka's Herbetum.
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 |
| 10:30 - 11:15 |
Sally Nex - How to Garden the Low Carbon Way An eco gardening expert and leader in sustainable gardening. She has been developing sustainable, low-carbon and eco-friendly gardening methods since 2013. She has written two books and writes for The Garden (the RHS journal), BBC Gardeners’ World magazine and Telegraph Gardening. |
| 11:45 - 12:30 |
Nathan Outlaw - Simple herby seafood cookery Nathan is widely seen as a master of fish cookery, Nathan is owner of the Restaurant Outlaw's New Road (previously Restaurant Nathan Outlaw, 2 Michelin stars) and the less formal Outlaw’s Fish Kitchen (1 Michelin star) in Port Isaac, Cornwall. |
| 13:00 - 13:45 |
Jo Thompson - Setting the Mood An award winning RHS Chelsea Flower show garden designer. She creates beautiful gardens with biodiversity and sustainability at the heart of her designs. Listed by House and Garden magazine as one of the country’s top ten garden designers, Jo’s exquisite planting technique has led her to be considered one of the UK’s leading plantswoman. |
| 14:15 - 15:00 |
Rob Howell - Rob’s Veggie Thyme Head chef at Root, a veg-centric restaurant in Bristol's Wapping Wharf owned by chef Josh Eggleton. Previously head chef at Josh's Michelin-starred pub The Pony & Trap, he helped set up Root in 2017 and now runs it with his wife Megan Oakley covering front of house. Root is a Bib Gourmand restaurant in the 2020 MICHELIN Guide and 2nd on the Sunday Times list of the 30 best places for great food on a budget. |
| 15:30 - 16:15 |
Jekka McVicar - From a Thyme in a wardrobe to HerbFest (1984 - 2021) Awarded the Victoria Medal of Honour in Horticulture by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), 62 RHS Gold medals for her Herb exhibits, is Vice President of the RHS and has written 8 books, including Jekka’s Complete Herb Book that has sold over 1 million copies world-wide. She is well known for her herb expertise and designing herb gardens for hospitals, restaurants and private homes. |
Please note, you do not need to book a place at these talks
Informal chats led by Kate Durr with experts in their fields. Candide 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 |
| 12:00 - 12:45 | Sally Nex |
| 13:15 - 14:00 | Nathan Outlaw |
| 14:30 - 15:15 | Jo Thompson |
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 or members of her team for an informative guided tour.
These will take place at 11:30, 12:45, 14:00 & 15:15. See the sign for details.
National Institute of Medical Herbalist
The Institute cannot wait to share with everyone the amazing medicinal properties of herbs.
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 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.
Meet The Maker
Local artisan businesses will be selling their crafts from delicious herb chocolates and ice creams to natural soaps and remedies.
The stalls will be doing informal demonstrations and chats about their crafts at 12:00, 13:00, 14:00 and 15:00. See the sign for details.
Come along and learn how to make tasty gin or Somerset cider.
