Steele Raymond LLP are delighted to announce that they are once again sponsoring Feast of Dorset, now in its second year. Feast of Dorset won the Independent Magazine’s best UK food festival in 2009, and takes place at Deans Court in Wimborne.  

We are sponsoring the two live bands for Saturday night’s “After Dark” entertainment which takes place on a stage overlooking the lake.  The Jazz Ambassadors start the evening at 7pm followed by the funky Latin sounds of Mambo Santa Maria.  

Feast of Dorset is a real family affair with free entry for children under 16. The cookery theatre will once again be a major focus with demonstrations by a range of celebrity chefs and writers.  The ever popular Lesley Waters makes her first appearance at the festival and will showcase recipes from her new book.  The Waitrose sponsored Q&A panel is again chaired by Oscar winning script writer Julian Fellowes with Mark Hix, Rose Prince and Jez Barfoot answering your culinary conundrums. Mat Follas, James Duckett, Anna del Conte and local fishmonger John the Fish are also cooking over the weekend, and a surprise visit is expected from a high profile culinary genius.

The kitchen garden at Deans Court was the first in the country to be officially designated organic by the Soil Association back in the 1970’s.  MasterChef competitor Jez Barfoot will have his Taste the Garden dishes on sale in the floral vintage tea rooms where he will be serving delicious lunches and teas using the freshest possible produce from the kitchen garden.  Jez will also do a Great Outdoors pit roast and smokery. 

Other attractions include Mark Thornton’s Bull & Anchor Restaurant Marquee, bread making, cheese and wine tent, Ruinart Champagne Bar, micro brewery, Chinese tea garden, Mad Hatter’s Tea Party with Keith Allen and 80 food producers and artisans. 

Waitrose is sponsoring guided tours around the herb garden which boasts over 200 types of culinary and medical plants.  Other attractions include flyfishing, beekeeping, archery in the medieval water meadows and a falconry display sponsored by accountants Saffrery Champness. There’s masses to do for children with a host of activities in the crèche including willow craft, story telling, tree climbing and Punch and Judy. Youngsters can even have a go at milking a cow! 

Ten per cent of ticket sales go to charities The Humane Slaughter Association and The British Beekeepers’ Association.  Festival goers also have the chance to win a harvest supper at Deans Court in a prize draw and a gingerbread house is being raffled for Julia’s House. 

Peter Rolph, Chairman of the firm's Management Committee says; “We have a strong belief in putting something back into the community where we are based and therefore we are delighted to support this successful event.” 

He adds: “As a firm we believe in innovation and creativity in the way we work for our clients. Our sponsorship of the arts, in various forms, is a perfect way to illustrate this philosophy. Just as art should inspire and challenge us all to think laterally, so in a very competitive business environment, these qualities help to mark us out as one of the more successful firms.”  

For more information visit http://www.feastofdorset.co.uk.