Get ready for DUKEFEST a weekend of exciting food, BBQs, five great chefs, live music, DJs and a festival fancy dress theme, as well as raising money for MND (Motor Neurone Disease) at The Duke of Marlborough in Woodleys, near Woodstock.
The fun kicks off on Saturday June 11 from 12 noon until 1am, while Sunday June 12 is more of a family-friendly affair. The Secret Garden will host the stage where DJ Daddy FT, Emma De La Querra, The Rock Hoppers, DJ Tony Nanton and headliners The Inflatables.
On Sunday you can enjoy Combe Boys, DJ Daddy FT, Tony Puppets and Marlia Rae, a bouncy castle, table tennis, a fun kids menu and even a singing ventriloquist, until 8pm. Let the good times roll!
Food-wise, DUKEFEST is pushing the boat out with five BBQ stations, each serving up their own mouth-watering dish spanning the globe – from the good old US of A to Mexico, India and Japan. From smokey classics to bold, creative flavours, there’s something for every BBQ lover to enjoy.
OXTWO and The Back Lane executive chef Johnny Parke‘s BBQ station offers a rotisserie pork and chorizo taco with a charred pineapple salsa, guacamole, chicharrones, fermented jalapeños and queso. Ben Bullen, head chef at OXTWO, is serving charred madras Cornish monkfish, a black lentil Dahl, lime chutney and prawn head oil, while Darryl Vorster, head chef of The Back Lane is cooking chicken yakitori with peanut sauce, roasted sesame, green papaya and mango salad.
The Duke‘s head chef Alan Dann weighs in with maple smoked brisket, Mississippi mop sauce, pickles and chilli cheese corn bread while Jamie Ruth from The Back Lane is cooking up aged Hereford cheeseburgers with Brewish beer onions, cowboy sauce, smoked bacon and ranch. Spoilt for choice then!
Chris says: “We hope people will work their way around the stations and try a bit of everything, and there is lots of seating outside in the pub garden, where people can take a break and time over their food or head to the Cotswold Distillery bar.
The Duke Kitchen is also geared up for a busy weekend with a variety of salads, vegetarian dishes, loaded dirty fries, pizzas and a varied children’s menu.
And with capacity for up to 350-400 people and tickets selling fast, the buzz around DUKEFEST is already building.
“This is the first festival we have run for a whole weekend,” Brewmish’s Chris Brewster says. “We’ve run lots of events before but nothing on this scale. But we know how to throw a good party, so we are really excited.”
Inspired by a visit to Meatopia, the famous London BBQ festival, Chris says “We thought we’d bring everything we loved about Meatopia – the food cooked over fire, the music and the summer vibes, back to Woodstock and have a wicked summer party.”
Last year we raised £7000 for MND at our Summer Party and we want to hit £10,000 which would be such a big achievement so we are holding a raffle with lots of amazing prizes from local businesses, as well as some MND artwork which will be for sale. 50% of the ticket sales will also go to MND.
So get your festival outfits ready and get your tickets now for two unforgettable days of food, music and community while raising funds for an important cause. Tickets cost £10 per person per day, £5 for 12-17 year olds and free for under 12’s.
DUKEFEST runs on June 11-12. Contact the Duke of Marlborough on 01993 811460 or info@dukeofmarlborough.co.uk to purchase your tickets.
