With every month that passes by, we’re getting one step closer to summer, so now is the time to fill up your diaries with great days out to enjoy with your friends and family. We have two fantastic Festivals that should go straight to the top of your list.  

Whether you want to indulge in culinary delights at the Food Festival or get crafty at the Artisan Festival, joining us at a Historic Royal Palaces Festival this summer may just be the best decision you make all year!

If you still need something to tempt you, we’ve pulled together the ultimate list of ideas to create a summer of good food, new hobbies and all-round seasonal fun.

Find your new favourite food producer  

Delicious, handmade, artisan and ice-cream are four words that very much go together. They also just happen to be what one of our hand-picked producers, Ivor’s Ice Cream specialise in.

Stroll through the palace gardens in the summer sun at our Festivals in June and August and discover your new favourite ice cream. What sets Ivor’s apart from other ice-cream producers is living on a dairy farm, that has been home to three generations of his family. This gives him access to quality fresh milk that creates the most delectable ice-cream. With flavours such as Biscoff, Honeycomb, Salted Caramel and the humble Madagascan Vanilla, there is something for everyone!

If you’re craving more after the Festival, then why not order one of their 2 or 4 litre home packs that can be collected straight from their farm, bringing a slice of the Historic Royal Palaces Festivals to your very own home!

Find out more and visit their website here >

Host an alfresco pizza party!

Our gardens have become our restaurants over the past couple of months and with the weather getting warmer, we’ll be taking even more of our meals outside. If you’re starting to run out of recipe inspiration, then have no fear, we’re here to help!

Grab your five favourite foodies, mix up some Aperol spritzes and bring a pizza party to your door. Our friends over at the BBC Good Food Shows have a quick and easy flatbread pizza, courtesy of Chris Bavin that can be whipped up in record speed, so you can be the ultimate host whilst not getting stuck in the kitchen.

You will need:
350g (12oz) plain flour, plus extra for dusting
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for greasing
150ml (5fl oz) warm water
2 garlic cloves, crushed
400g can cherry tomatoes
A large handful of grated mozzarella
½ red onion, finely sliced
Toppings of your choice, such as sliced red onion, sliced mushrooms, tinned sweetcorn, sliced courgettes, sliced peppers, black olives or even pineapple, if that’s your thing!
2 baking trays, lined with baking parchment

Method

1. For the flatbreads, sift the flour into a large mixing bowl and season with salt and pepper. Create a little well in the middle of the flour and add 2 tbsp of the olive oil, then start to add the water and mix well until you have a thick, but not too sticky, dough.
2. Knead the dough on a floured work surface for 1 minute or until smooth, then put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and rest for 10 minutes.
3. For the pizza sauce, heat the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil and gently heat the garlic for a minute, taking care not to burn it. Add the can of cherry tomatoes and heat for 3–4 minutes. Using a potato masher, squash the tomatoes –you don’t want to make it totally smooth, just start breaking the tomatoes a bit. Leave on a gentle heat for 10 minutes until it reduces down a sauce that is thick enough to spread on your flatbread.
4. Preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan/425°F/Gas 7).
5. Divide the dough into four balls and roll each one out to a thin pizza base. Put them on the lined baking trays and cook in the hot oven for 2 minutes. Remove the trays from the oven and turn the flatbreads over.
6. Spread the tomato sauce over the cooked sides of the pizzas, sprinkle over the grated mozzarella and then top with your veggies. Pop them back in the oven for 7–8 minutes or until the cheese is all melted.

Credit: Fakeaway: Healthy Home-cooked Takeaway Meals by Chris Bavin. Published by DK on 23 January 2020, £14.99. DK.com

Learn something new

Whether you’re looking to discover more about a hobby that you picked up over lockdown, or simply want to try your hand at something new, come along to a Make & Create workshop at the Hampton Court Palace Artisan Festival and leave with so much more than just magical memories.

Indian block printing, embroidery and traditional blacksmithing are just a few of the skills that are waiting for you. Plus, take a seat in the Ask the Expert Tent and soak up the knowledge of our artists in residence in free interviews and talks, hosted by Marcus Bean. You can discover how the Royal School of Needlework go about working on large and prestigious commissions, including some of their special approach that has been used since the 19th century. Plus, so much more.

Feeling inspired? Find out more and book your tickets today >

Raise a glass

In honour of World Whisky Day, we wanted to share the perfect cocktail that you can enjoy at a picnic with friends. BBC Good Food Magazine have concocted the recipe for the ultimate mint julep. Serve over mounds of crushed ice and top with freshly picked garden mint… cheers!

You will need:
65ml bourbon
10 mint leaves
12.5ml 2:1 sugar syrup (see tip, below)
ice, cubes and crushed

Method
Shake the bourbon, mint leaves and sugar syrup with ice and strain into a highball glass or julep tin filled with crushed ice. Churn gently with a long-handled spoon and top with more crushed ice. Garnish and serve.

Top tip: Make the sugar syrup
Dissolve 200g sugar in 100ml water over a low heat. Leave to cool, then bottle. Store in the fridge for up to one week.

Enjoy a regal day out

How lucky are we to host festivals at the majestic Hampton Court Palace, and guess what, the luck doesn’t stop there! Every ticket to one of our Festivals includes entry to the palace, so you can walk in the footsteps of famous monarchs and enjoy everything that this wonderful setting has to offer.

Experience a slice of majestic life with a Shire Horse ride, let the little ones imaginations’ run wild in the Magic Garden, bask in the aromas of the Kitchen Garden and so much more. Our Festivals truly are fit for a King (or Queen)!

We hope we’ve inspired you to join us for two spectacular days out this summer and bring a slice of our Festivals to your home with some delicious recipes and fantastic crafts.

Book your tickets to the Hampton Court Palace Food Festival> 
Join us at the Hampton Court Palace Artisan Festival>