Month: August 2024

Some of Bury St Edmunds’ most popular restaurants are set to share their kitchen secrets this bank holiday weekend as Suffolk’s ‘Foodie Capital’ prepares to host the annual Our Bury St Edmunds Food & Drink Festival.  And visitors can let their tastebuds tour the world without leaving the town centre thanks to the delicious variety of foods on offer.

From the heat of the Caribbean to the most refreshing cocktail in town, dozens of stall holders will have treats for every taste throughout the free-admission two-day event.  And alongside all the different food and drink stalls will be a range of family-friendly, fun activities including fairground rides and free face-painting. 

Among the highlights are some fabulous food and drink demonstrations at the Stoves Cookery Theatre – this year also featuring Michelin-starred celebrity chef Galton Blackiston who makes a welcome return to the event on bank holiday Monday.  Sharing the stage throughout the weekend will be chefs and drinks specialists from some of the area’s favourite establishments including festival regulars 1921, The Angel, Maison Bleue, Three Kings and Forage Kitchen.  Returning after making their debut last year are Rustico, The Wine Cellar, Giggling Squid and Bay Tree Café. The Old Cannon Brewery will be raising a glass to open the theatre kitchen on Sunday morning.

The festival is organised by the Business Improvement District (BID) organisation Our Bury St Edmunds BID.  Chief Executive Mark Cordell said: “We are so proud of the food and drink businesses in Bury St Edmunds and like to give as many as possible the opportunity to engage with this event to showcase what they do.  A number who were involved for the first time last year are joining in again and others like Papakis Deli and Beautiful Beers who have had a longstanding presence are back too.

“The Farmers’ Market on Angel Hill is always a great draw and arc shopping centre will be the place to be for a number of other free festival attractions for all ages including face-painting, virtual reality games and test-driving a racing car simulator.”

For more information about the event, which runs from 10am to 5pm on Sunday 25 and Monday 26 August, visit: www.ourburystedmunds.com/foodanddrinkfestival or follow Our Bury St Edmunds social media channels.

Since 1924, Hatter Street in Bury St Edmunds has been a home for moving images, from the very early days of cinema, right through to the current digital landscape. Abbeygate Cinema is now celebrating its centenary year with an extra special programme of films which takes inspiration from each decade of the past century, commemorating this massive milestone. 

From its humble beginnings as a music hall, showing short snippets of moving images, to now holding the biggest screen in town, Abbeygate has been a home for entertainment to the Bury St Edmunds community and holds a special place in the hearts of many residents. The building has seen generations pass through its doors, with life-long patrons now introducing their families, welcoming in a new wave of film lovers. Much has changed in the past 100 years, projection equipment was digitised in 2010 and expansions to the premise have allowed for three auditoriums and an adjoining restaurant and bar. However, the heart of Abbeygate Cinema remains the same, bringing film and The Arts to its local community whilst providing them with a safe and welcoming home away from home. 

From 23 August, the collection of classic films will be screening right through until the final celebration on 09 November. Featuring beloved titles such as The Shawshank Redemption, Bladerunner, Jaws and The Big Lebowski, the schedule also includes unique events and screenings scattered in there too, from audience selections to history tours with the cinema’s longest-running employee, Pat Church. 

General Manager, Gareth, had this to say about the momentous occasion, ‘We are delighted to be celebrating 100 years of film on Hatter Street. This is a fantastic opportunity to reminisce and remember all of the amazing connections made here, from first dates, first films for children to lifelong friendships amongst the team- past and present. We start the celebrations with JAWS, a film that means a lot to Pat and with tickets at £1.50, we hope for a full screen to kick things off with a bang.’ He added ‘It has been a hard couple of years for Cinema, but we are delighted to be backed by our wonderful and loyal membership base. Throughout our Centenary celebrations, a member can bring a guest for free to any of these special screenings. We take great pride in being the oldest Cinema in Bury St Edmunds and our close connections to the local community. As well as being a celebration, we are also fundraising for a defibrillator to help keep Hatter Street and wider safe’

Our Bury St Edmunds BID is pleased to invite our BID members to its upcoming Annual General Meeting which will take place on the evening of Tuesday 10th September 2024, at Bury St Edmunds Guildhall.

The official business starts at 6.30pm, however from 5.45pm there will be an opportunity for you to meet the BID team, the Board and other BID members.

The AGM is free to attend. Light refreshments will be provided. Please confirm your attendance by emailing Mark.Cordell@ourburystedmunds.com and please let us know of any dietary requirements.

To comply with Company law we have created an official notice for the meeting which outlines the agenda and how you can nominate a proxy to vote for you at the AGM, should you so wish.

Official AGM Notice 2024.