During the August Bank Holiday (Saturday 27^th August – Monday 29^th August 2022) Upton Country Park in picturesque Poole will host the third Fantastic Food Festival this summer. A new venue for this year, expect a gastronomic weekend packed with interactive masterclasses and experiences from a passionate community of talented food and drink experts and celebrity chefs. Situated on the front lawn, with the stunning backdrop of this grand Grade II listed Georgian House, the festival will be an opportunity to celebrate delicious regional and national produce from a diverse selection of stallholders with plenty of entertainment for all the family. Visit www.fantasticfoodfestivals.co.uk to book tickets.

The sun, and crowds, came out for the Highcliffe Food and Arts Festival 2022.

With the best food, art, drink and music that the New Forest can offer the revitalised Burley Festival returns next month, fully refreshed after a two-year lay-off, bigger and better than ever, with a host of new attractions, family camping in the O'Deer Campsite and free entry for under-10s.

One restaurant that has been on our ‘must visit’ list for a while now is Dicky’s Bar & Brasserie in Southbourne. With a family get together planned we had the perfect chance to give the venue a try. We booked a table on a Sunday night in late February and the place had the encouraging busy hum of other diners on arrival. Dicky’s has a luscious décor with opulent furnishings mixed with more modern touches such as bare wooden tables. Lovely lighting levels and a mix of high and low seating creates a relaxed and trendy atmosphere.

Dorset’s only free seafood festival promises a magnificent haul of great fish and shellfish, fine local produce, glorious live music and to top it off a wonderful fireworks display on Saturday evening.