WILDERNESS FESTIVAL BANQUETS NOW ON-SALE

The UK’s finest chefs, Yotam Ottolenghi, Fergus Henderson founder of St John’s restaurant and TV chef Valentine Warner, have unveiled their first-ever festival menus, for the lavish banquets at the award-winning festival, Wilderness, on August 10-12.

Tickets go on-sale today for the banquets, which sold-out in 2011. This year, a larger number of tickets will be sold and released via the Wilderness website – www.wildernessfestival.com.

Ottolenghi, Henderson and Warner will host a weekend of lavish communal feasting in the beautiful Wilderness banqueting tent and will be serving their five course menu to two thousand people over the three days, with carefully selected wines and live music.

Yotam Ottolenghi says: "Creating an Ottolenghi style banquet at Wilderness this year, with its beautiful surrounding of Cornbury Park, is great fun and a fantastic way of celebrating summer."

Exmouth market’s famous Moro will also be making a return to host their very own Souk Tent. The beautifully dressed Bedouin tent will be open for the duration of the festival and will serve a fusion of Spanish and Middle Eastern dishes with an accompaniment of cocktails, wines and aperitifs.

The 2012 food offering will also include an immersive mix of talks, tastings, cookery lessons and workshops curated by local Cotswolds food school Thyme at Southrop Manor. The Thyme encampment will offer three days of total immersion in everything from market gardening to gourmet gastronomy.

Other foodie offerings on-site include veggie goodies from Wholefood Heaven, fresh British meat balls from The Bowler, The Soup Library, fresh pizza from Well Kneaded, boutique street food brand Anna Mae’s, fresh game from the Wild Game Co, Soho institution The Breakfast Club, handmade ice cream company Ginger’s Comfort Emporium, vegan goodies from Churros Brothers, The Tea Stop, and soft drinks company Nurses Cottage Drinks.

Curated by the producers of Lovebox and Secret Garden Party, Wilderness is a celebration of the arts and outdoors set in the wilds of England. The festival brings together food, music, talks and debates, theatre, late night parties and outdoor pursuits and will be a gastronomic feast for all the senses against an exquisite backdrop of lakes, forests and parklands.

A limited number of banquet tickets will be available from www.wildernessfestival.com at the early-bird price of £39.50.

Valentine Warner:

Starters

Venison tartare

Cured marinated trout

Snails with fried garlic, parsley almonds & breadcrumbs

Crayfish with nutmeg butter

Mains

Barbequed shoulders of lamb with petis pois, bacon & lettuce & new potatoes

French onion tart with herb salad

Lovage local vegetables

Dessert

Blackcurrant Blancmange with shortbread

Ottolenghi

Starters

Roasted baby aubergines with buttermilk sauce

Butterbean puree with dukkah

Mains

Pan-fried sea bream with harissa and rose

Roasted sirloin of beef with coriander, mustard and chilli salsa

Coucous with lemon and chervil

Spicy beetroot, leek and walnut salad

Mixed bean and red pepper salad

Desserts

Cardamom cream with fig and hazelnut

Semolina and orange cake, served with Greek yoghurt and pistachios

Fergus Henderson + St John 

Bread from the bakery

Cauliflower, Butter Beans and Leeks

Brown Shrimp and White Cabbage

Brawn

Roast Quails and Lentils

Grilled Ox Heart, Green Sauce and Little Gem

Little Eccles Cakes and Lancashire Cheese