WINCHESTER RESIDENT -t16 Aug | Page 18

Eat , drink and be merry

Feeling Chilli . . . turn up the heat ! W

INCHESTER welcomes the Cheese & Chilli Festival 2016 from August 20-21 . Billed as a ‘ fantastic , fun food festival for all the family ’ the stars are the traders , with around 70 expected – and the chillies . Having visited Basingstoke , Christchurch and Guildford en route to our city , family attractions include a children ’ s play zone with shows , fun rides , demonstrations / talks , a chilli sauce competition , live music and a weekend Beer Festival by Wiltshire microbrewery Downton Brewery .
For those with a less sweet tooth ‘ cheese & chilli ’ is an enticing combination and chilli-centred events have been growing in popularity for several years . Add a cool drink , sit back and enjoy local acts performing on the dedicated stage area .
Lastly – and not for the faint-hearted – there ’ s a chilli eating competition , guaranteed to bring out a glow in participants .
Fact : The Scoville scale measures of the ‘ hotness ’ of a chilli pepper or anything derived from chilli peppers ( e . g .: hot sauce ). It ’ s named after Wilbur Scoville who developed the test in 1912 . A sweet bell pepper is 0 , jalapeno 2,500-5,000 , Dorset naga 923,000 , habanero 100,000-350,000 . . . and it keeps on rising !
When and where : North Walls ( behind River Park Leisure Centre ), 10am to 5pm .
Cost : On the gate , adults £ 7 , seniors , carers , disabled £ 4 , children under 16 free . Advance booking offers reduced prices .
cheeseandchillifestival . com

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All that jazz

HE inaugural Winchester Jazz Festival ( WJF ) takes place from September 22-25 at venues across the city centre .
Audiences can enjoy four days of performances by major Jazz and Swing acts from across the UK , as well as showcasing some of our best local musicians .
The organisers say : “ By bringing the Jazz Festival to this beautiful and historic city we will create a platform to nurture local talent , expose a wider local audience to world-class jazz music and show the rest of the UK what Winchester has to offer as an arts ’ destination .
“ We are working in partnership with the city ’ s key venues as well as alongside our valued

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Spirit Leveller

AMPLING the coolest of spirits proved a great leveller at the recent Ginchester Fete , held at City Mill , which revealed a very different side of Winchester .
The growing popularity of trendy and flavoured gins – dubbed a ‘ ginaissance ’ – has led to a sharp rise in the number of distilleries operating in Britain , cocktail masterclasses and increased space on supermarket shelves , with promotions encouraging people to sample what was once called ‘ mother ’ s ruin ’.
There ’ s also been a surge in the number of vineyards and breweries opening up across the country as discerning drinkers turn to small independent producers and away from big international brands .
Ginchester featured stalls manned by the gin hounds from the Green Man , Toscanaccio and Paul Bowler , founder and distiller at Winchester Distillery , home of Twisted Nose Watercress Gin and Hampshire Dry Gin .
The juniper spirit , which marries perfectly with quinine in tonic water , is seen by many as the nation ’ s most exciting drink .
independent pubs , bars and cafés to offer a diverse programme of ticketed and free events , balancing maximum engagement with high quality performances .”
Alongside scheduled performances , WJF will be delivering a series of educational lectures for adults and visiting workshops for city secondary schools .
Keep an eye on the website for more information as acts are announced . www . winchesterjazzfestival . com
18 Resident www . residentmagazine . co . uk