Winter Food Fest, Thoresby Courtyard, Nottinghamshire, England

On our visit to Sherwood Forest, we saw signs for the 2013 Winter FoodFest at Thoresby Courtyard. The courtyard is the stables and coach house of Thoresby Hall, which belonged to the Pierrepont family. The Hall is now a spa hotel and the courtyard is home to an art gallery, a war museum, several shops, and a hall where the food fest was held.

Entrance to the courtyard

Inside the courtyard several mobile food booths were set up. At the center of the courtyard is local legend Robin Hood, sporting a seasonal cap (we visited in mid-November, so I thought it was a bit early, now as I post in January it is a bit late!).

A bit of the courtyard

Robin Hood makes merry like a jolly old elf

An unassuming door led into the food fest which was swamped with people. The kids were nervous about being there and we were nervous about losing them (though the actual room isn't quite that big). My wife took them back to the sweet shop while I made the rounds.

Food Fest!

Another angle

The booths were typical businesses--a couple of local breweries, a winery, a few bakeries, an apiary selling honey, some handmade crafts. I wound up buying a nice bottle of tawny port from the winery.

On the way out, I didn't find my family at the sweet shop. I went into the courtyard and didn't spot them until they came out of the glass blower's shop. I had just missed the live demonstration of glass making. L reported that she got to see inside the 1000 degree oven. She took me into the shop, but the workers looked like they were on break.

L shows me the area

They have very nice stuff though no "must have" items. After returning to the sweets shop to buy some fudge (a nice caramel fudge), we made a quick tour of the war museum before getting back on the road to home. That will be the next post!