Sticky Beak Flies In For The Return Of Chatsworth Country Fair
Published On Friday 23 Sep 2022 by Sticky Beak
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If it’s entertainment and exhilaration you’re after, then Chatsworth Country Fair needs to be THE date in your diary! It felt so good to be back after 3 years; the previous two fairs had to be cancelled (thanks for nothing, Covid) and the Hot Air Balloons floating in the skies above Chatsworth House always make the hairs on the back of my neck stand up in excitement.
His Nibs and I had been invited along on the Saturday and, thanks to the marvellously well organised car parking, had soon left the jalopy behind and were making our way towards the entrance. Again, the slick teamwork swiftly cleared us through and we were soon in sight of the grand ring. After getting our bearings, we headed to the Fine Food Village and into the Stoves Cookery Theatre to watch a demonstration by Chef Nathan Senior as he cooked some of the dishes on offer in The Catch Restaurant at The Cow in Dalbury Lees.
One of the things that Gastro enthusiasts will love about Chatsworth Country Fair is the high calibre of Chefs that they attract: Mary Berry, James Martin and John Torode were the celebrities this year, and The Hairy Bikers are one example of previous guests. If you’re really keen, there’s the chance to go and meet your culinary hero/heroine and get your book signed by them.
We only stayed for the starter demonstration because I was eager to go to the grand ring to see the Opening Ceremony: a display by The Parachute Display Team, with the Duchess of Devonshire taking the salute, followed by The Massed Band of the Fire and Rescue Service presenting themselves to His Grace, The Duke of Devonshire. There’s something rousing about a marching band in full dress regalia as they display their musical talents.
By this point we hadn’t had a drink for quite some time so we made our way into the press tent and had a coffee whilst uploading our photos so far. The lovely Lindsay Rae (of Marketing Peak District and Derbyshire) was in the tent, so we had a quick chat over a tub of delicious Salted Caramel Ice Cream from local business, Bluebells Dairy (very scrummy it was too, in case you’ve never had it!).
You can’t come to Chatsworth Country Fair and not indulge in a bit of retail therapy; there’s every kind of stall imaginable, from craft spirits and food, to artworks, jewellery, wooden items, homeware and clothing – and that’s just for us bipeds! Our fur-babies are very well catered for too, in every bit of their lives from the moment they wake up to the moment their little eyes close.
Every aspect of country life is celebrated at the Chatsworth Country Fair and there are areas for Clay Pigeon Shooting, Archery and Angling to enjoy, as well as Sheepdog trials, Dog Agility displays, Gundog team tests and scurry, Ferrets, Falcons and Farriery. The (sometimes not so!) gentle strains of bagpipes carry through the air, not only from the solo Piper but also from the many Pipe Bands that come to compete against each other and, mixed with the informative commentary in the grand ring, there is a wonderful buzz about the fair grounds. A different kind of fairground keeps the smaller members of families well occupied; is this the moment to confess that I had to have a turn on the Carousel myself?!
We headed to the press area, where I bagged a ringside seat to watch the British Scurry and Trials Driving competitors and their equines’ flying hooves; these horses and ponies seriously shift – blink and you miss them! Other than the Mounted Games of Great Britain, this is the other event that you are actively encouraged to whoop and cheer the competitors on – so that’s just what I did!!
They say time flies when you’re having fun, and when we looked at our watches we discovered that we’d best get some lunch inside us before it was strictly time for tea! Barry from Amber Valley Vineyards had kindly sent some of his delicious English wines over, so we sipped at a glass of the very cheeky Elsa pink tipple as we munched on creamy Potato salad, Curried Cauliflower and Caramelised Onion Quiche. My beady eyes spied individual sized Bakewell Puddings (from the Old Original Bakewell Pudding Shop in Bakewell if my taste buds were correct?); well, you can’t be in the vicinity of Bakewell AND be in the ‘shire and not partake of this fantastic sweet treat.
We headed back to the Stoves Cookery Theatre to catch Prakash Rawat and Harcharan Chandhoke from Lotus Indian Kitchen at Mercia Marina as they did their demonstration. Whilst Prakash cooked up a spicy storm, Harcharan kept us all entertained with his fact-filled commentary; for example did you know that Chillies were introduced to Indian cuisine by the Portuguese – they didn’t originally appear in the dishes? And our beloved Tikka Masalas and Jalfrezis? Nope, they’re not originally on the Indian menu either! A lovely young chap was coming around all the assembled audience with pots of yummy Bombay Chaat to nibble on and the combination of creamy yoghurt, tangy Tamarind, chickpeas and puffed wheat went down a storm with everyone.
I got a text from Chef Simon Lilley (Coghlans Wine and Food Experience, opening soon at Peak Village) to say he was camping at Chatsworth and was at the Country Fair if we fancied a drink and chat – needless to say I took the opportunity to meet up with this Master Chef of Great Britain and get the low-down on his latest venture.
All too soon it was time to head back to the jalopy and hit the road back to Beak H.Q., but what an absolute blast we’d had at the 39th Chatsworth Country Fair. In 2023 the date for the Chatsworth Country Fair is 1st-3rd September, and if you buy your tickets before September 30th 2022 you can get 25% off – what are you waiting for?!
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