Ludlow Food Festival

The Ludlow Food Festival, also called the Ludlow Food and Drink Festival, is held inside the walls of Ludlow Castle, in a market town of south Shropshire close to the Welsh border. It showcases “independent food and drink producers from the Marches”, the border country between England and Wales, and it has been held “for over three decades”, according to the festival’s umbrella site, which calls it “the original food and drink festival”. The festival is run by Ludlow Marches Food & Drink, and the castle, begun by the Normans and now a ruin open to visitors, gives it its setting.

Ludlow Food Festival 2026

The 2027 dates had not been published when this page was checked, on 6 October 2026: the festival’s site announces each edition.

What to eat and drink

• Producers of the Marches. The festival is built around independent producers of the region: buy from the people who make the food.
• The Marches larder. The Marches are livestock and orchard country: Hereford beef and Herefordshire cider and perry, made from pears, come from just south of Ludlow. Ask the producers what they bring.

Practical tips

• Choose your day. Friday and Sunday cost 18 pounds for an adult, Saturday 20 pounds (2026 prices).
• Families. A child aged 5 to 13 paid 6 pounds in 2026, and under-5s went free.
• Come by train. Ludlow station, on the line between Shrewsbury and Hereford, is a short walk from the castle.

Where to stay and combine

Ludlow is a small town with few rooms in its centre. The villages of south Shropshire, and Hereford and Shrewsbury widen the choice. The Abergavenny Food Festival, in Wales, is further south on the same railway line. In 2026 it was held the following weekend, on 19 and 20 September, which makes a two-festival trip possible.

Planning for the next edition

In 2026 the festival filled a September weekend, from Friday to Sunday. Tickets are sold on the festival’s site. Ludlow rewards a longer stay. The castle can be visited outside the festival, the town keeps a traditional market in its square, and the surrounding Shropshire Hills are walking country.