Artisan Foods and Crafts at Wychwood Forest Fair 2011

It started bleak, very bleak. Pouring rain, windy and distinctly chilly - so much so that one or two traders actually left before the start! This is why there's three large marquees to go in if the weather's poor.

The location of the fair is OK, the drive to the field isn't great, but we're in the countryside so it's par for the course - it is a farm, after all.

Wychwood Forest Fair is primarily and traditional arts and artisan producers and crafts fair, which has always shunned big retailers and companies coming in, in favour of showcasing smaller producers and traders.

There are other crafts at the Forest Fair, but over recent years it seems to have acquired a more 'foodie' theme; the presence of a hog roast at such events isn't at all unusual, but now this event seems to be a firm fixture for a plethora of artisan food producers.

You can find pretty much anything here now; various stalls selling artisan cheeses, from beautiful fresh handmade goats cheeses (also available in smoked, coated in herbs or ash), some particularly well made Cotswold bries, with some plucky producers offering a blue version - a bit like a Cotswold Cambazola - and other producers trying their hand at firmer artisan cheeses like cheddar and territorials like stilton and red leicester.

There's also salami and chorizo producers here too - you wouldn't have thought that the UK's climate would be suitable for curing salamis, especially with the summer we're currently having - but they've had a go and some of it is very good - award-winning even. One even has a celebrity chef endorsement - can't be bad!

There's even an artisan mustard producer here; creating all sorts of different varieties from local ingredients, this guy has even teamed up with two other local producers to create an award-winning beer mustard and a Cotswold honey mustard. Fittingly, next to this guy is a butcher, selling local meats and sausages - now there's a good cross-sell for you!.

It's staggering how many people there are out there making artisan food; it's not easy - you've got to create it legally and safely which often means investment in clean production areas. Then you've got to source your raw materials and produce the product, then you've got to take it to a farmer's market and sell it - or try to persuade the local foods shops to stock it. But do it well, win a 'Great Taste Award' and you'll be laughing. Very hard work though - more of a labour of love really.

But these artisan food producers always seem to be very busy at this show - with lots of people taking an interest in what's on offer, this could be show euphoria though, and I do wonder how many new customers are won at these events - but it's certainly good publicity.

Christopher Morton writes for Wychwood Deli, a nationwide supplier of gourmet food. For 10% off your first order. just enter code EZ01 at the online checkout!

http://www.wychwooddeli.co.uk/

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