A taste of the high life available on offer at luxury show home launch in Shobdon

A taste of the high life is what's on offer when Taylor Wimpey Midlands rolls out the red carpet and throws open the doors to its stunning four bedroom detached President style show home at its Shobdon Oaks development in Shobdon on May Day (1st May). For more details please download the press release here.

NEW SPONSOR, TV CHEF AND AERIAL ANTICS PUT FESTIVAL IN A SPIN

Organisers of the Shobdon Food and Drink Festival held on the last weekend in June have unveiled a new line-up to go with a major new sponsor as the event goes from strength to strength. 'Taylor Wimpey', who are building 35 luxury properties in the north Herefordshire village are lending financial clout to the festival, all the proceeds of which go to charity.

Festival Organiser, Matt Teale said: "Because we give all our proceeds away, we start from scratch each year which can make it difficult to develop and grow an event like ours. Getting Taylor Wimpey on board will ensure this year is the biggest and best ever."

Anne Wallace, regional sales and marketing director for Taylor Wimpey, added: "Taylor Wimpey, Midlands are delighted to be sponsoring the Shobdon Food and Drink Festival, an event that benefits many local charities and good causes. Where possible, we always try and support the communities in which we build and as our new development, Shobdon Oaks, has recently opened, we thought it fitting that we get involved with the local community right from the start. The whole team at Shobdon Oaks is very excited about attending the festival for the first time and we're looking forward to trying out some of the delicious food and drink on offer."

Organisers will need all the help they can get, too, with the festival raising funds for much needed renovations to the village church which was recently named on the World Monuments Fund's global list of heritage protection sites. Only six sites from the UK made the list of nearly a hundred selected from forty seven countries around the world. It puts Shobdon's unique parish church alongside architectural conservation projects from Sri Lanka to South Africa, from Mexico to Morocco and from Ecuador to Egypt.

Matt Teale said: "The church in Shobdon is not only of global architectural significance, but it is of tremendous cultural and social significance too. If we thought too hard about exactly how much money needs to be raised to renovate Shobdon church, we might get disheartened. But the only way to save something so important to the local community is with the help of the local community, and the whole village is pulling together."

This year's food festival not only coincides with the popular tri-annual Shobdon Flower Festival, an event with over 25 years of heritage, but also with a new addition to the county's calendar, 'The Shobdon Airfield Aviation Weekend'. Plans to combine all three events are already well in place. At the food and flower festival in the grounds of Shobdon church, there'll be a mouth-watering mix of the country's best produce as well as bespoke arts and crafts, stunning floral displays, cooking demonstrations, vintage vehicles and classic cars. There's a full programme of evening concerts and a host of other entertainment with an emphasis on 'food fun'. Organisers hope new additions to the line-up, including the 'Easy Peasy' mobile cookery trailer - an interactive culinary experience for children - will help attract the next generation of foodies to an event that is already a firm fixture on the culinary calendar.

Shobdon have also secured the services of popular T.V. cook and champion of local produce, Rachel Green. Veteran of several cookery series, Rachel's renowned for her exuberant demonstrations all over the country, something visitors to Shobdon can enjoy on the Saturday afternoon of this year's festival. Rachel promises a few surprises but there's a strong chance that her obsession for the good old British 'banger' might have an influence on her demonstration. She's just released a book on the subject and is intrigued by one particular item sold at the Herefordshire event.

Rachel Green said: "'The Shobdon Sausage' isn't something I've had the pleasure of trying yet, but I'm very much looking forward to doing so! Who knows, maybe it'll make it into my next book?" Elsewhere in the village, the airfield's aviation weekend promises even more attractions including trial flights, aerobatics, static displays and visiting military aircraft.

TV Chef confirms Shobdon demo

We are delighted to announce that TV chef and passionate supporter of local produce, Rachel Green joins our talented team of expert demonstrators for 2010. A veteran of several television series, her cookery demonstrations are renowned for their lively exuberance. She demonstrates all over the country, including the Royal Show and BBC Good Food Show, and is Celebrity Chef at the Chatsworth Country Fair. A farmer's daughter from Lincolnshire, her family have been farming for 14 generations - another reason why she'll feel right at home in Herefordshire.

"Food production is in my blood," she says, "I grew up helping to collect eggs, lamb the ewes, vine the peas. I am passionate about local produce and producers and am delighted to be able to demonstrate at the Shobdon Food & Flower Festival, an event with a growing reputation among foodies."

Rachel will doubtless have a few recipe surprises up her sleeve but there's a strong possibility that her passion for the good old British 'banger' might have an influence. Rachel has recently released a recipe book, simply entitled, 'Sausages' and is intrigued by one particular and very popular item sold at and inspired by our event:

"The 'Shobdon Sausage' isn't something I've had the pleasure of trying as yet, but I am very much looking forward to! Who knows, maybe it'll make it into my next book?" She said.

25p from the sale of each copy of Rachel's latest book, 'Sausages', is being donated to 'Help for Heroes', the wounded British servicemen charity.

Another clue as to what we might expect from Rachel could come from her role as the Ambassador of the, 'Yes Peas' campaign, with the latest recipe booklet offering delights such as 'Pea Soup with Camembert and Fresh Mint' and 'Seared Salmon with saute of Peas and Asparagus with Chive Cream.'

Rachel joins a top demonstrating team of mostly local chefs keen to show off their skills and highlight the fantastic produce Herefordshire has to offer. Please see the list of events for confirmation of times and a full list of other activities.