Winchester Cheese & Chilli Festival

A number of cooking demonstrations or talks will be offered by professionals from the cheese and chilli industry. Many sessions will be hosted by the famous Chilli Olly but we will also have many guest speakers. See the schedule for further details. The Demonstration Theatre will also host the popular Hot Food Challenge, Ready Steady Cook interactive cooking session plus many more.

The Chilli Eating Competition takes place each day at around 4pm.  It’s quite a sight to see grown adults struggle to eat tiny fruits and hilarious to see the consequences! The winner of the competition is the person who can stay in the game the longest! If you are mad enough for the challenge, please contact us.

A festival is not a festival without some live music! To keep us entertained, we have a number of bands playing for us throughout the weekend. The bands will be celebrated musicians from around the region playing anything from from jazz to rock. See the schedule for further information.

The Verses Food Challenge is a crazy 30 minutes of watching people try and devour a HOT meal prepared lovingly by our resident chefs Chilli Olly and Chilli Dave.  The winner is the person who can finish theirs first! If you are mad enough for the challenge, please contact us.

Wendy Sax – Wendy’s versatility enables her to play in many different musical styles including jazz, blues, pop, soul, Ibiza chillout, and contemporary smooth jazz and groove, making her popular and in demand and we get to enjoy her music all day.

We have number of FREE activities available for the kids.  We have Punch & Judy, Magic Shows, Treasure Hunts, Balloon Modelling, Giant Bubble Parties, Meet Kerry the Koala Crazy Golf, stilt walkers, walkabout musicians and Circus Skills available.  There are paid for activities also such as mini fun fair rides, axe throwing, face painting, inflatables etc.

“A Classic Whodunit”

Punch & Judy is a classic show which the kids love.  It’s also a time to have 30 minutes or so to grab a drink etc and relax as we’ll take the strain. The show is a fun and interactive play which we all know and love.

We have our very own mascot, Kerry The Koala! She’s 3m tall and filled with air and very friendly?  We’d love you to come and meet her!

At each event we have a tailored selection of sauces from various traders around the site and we ask you to judge which ones you prefer.  When entering the event, you are given a ballot slip to be used in this area.  Your vote counts!

Another FREE activity, why not test yourself against our very own Cheese & Chilli Crazy Golf Course.  Par 27!  Large and small putters available plus multicoloured balls so no cheating.

We have an amazing array of cheese on offer.  We select a variation of cheese to be present at the event which means we don’t have lots of stalls selling the same varieties but a hand picked selection just for you.

An array of lovely chilli available for you to sample and purchase. We are very lucky to be supported by some of the uk’s leading growers, makers and manufacturers of chilli related products. It’s a chance to come and try something new and learn something about these fantastic products.

If the activities on offer aren’t your thing, you can just come and have a good time with your friends or family.  Let the good times roll!

Storytelling is one of our oldest forms of communication and artistic expression. From the very beginning stories have been told, adapted and shared. Through the ages storytellers have engaged audiences with sagas, legends, fairy tales, epics and anecdotes. So from Great Uncle Ned’s sharpened thigh bone to the present day there will be a place for those that like to spin a yarn and those that love to listen.

A moment for the kids to go crazy and chase all the bubbles! We have giant and little bubbles to make.  We even let the kids have a go at making some themselves.