Malvern Spring Show

But their Silver-Gilt award was not enough to beat the winners of this year’s show garden when Villaggio Verde returned to the Spring Festival with ‘An Andalusian Moment’, a recreation of an Andalusian village, complete with shops, tavern, Mediterranean square and hidden courtyard.

The Spring show at Malvern has evolved from just a flower show by incorporating much more in the way of food exhibits, echoing their successful Autumn Show.

So foodies from across the country descended to see the special guests in the Festival Theatre. Raymond Blanc, Chef Patron of Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, Masterchef’s Gregg Wallace and River Cottage’s Mark Diacona were the headline acts, while heading up the homegrown talent is Cotswold Chef, Rob Rees MBE. A true food hero for Great Britain, he balances his work as a social entrepreneur with being a campaigner, food columnist, writer and chef, and he presided over the Kitchen Garden Hub.

The festival is one of the UK’s first major garden shows of the season. The Festival Green supported by Worcester Bosch Group was bursting with everything a garden and food enthusiast could hope for while a grand Festival Food & Drink Pavilion located in the heart of the Showground was jam-packed with artisan food and drink from across the world.

Gregg Wallace said of his appearance at the festival: “I’m thrilled to be involved with this year’s RHS Malvern Spring Festival, as an ex-grocer I know that there is an undeniable link between good produce and good food. If you start with quality ingredients you’re on to a winner straight away. The growth and harvest of our produce is so important. I love the partnership that RHS Malvern Spring Festival has created between gardening and food and I am really looking forward to experiencing what’s in store.”

Tying in with its links as one of the UK’s top garden shows, the Food Festival at RHS Malvern Spring Festival had a whole pavilion dedicated to growing your own. The Get Going Get Growing arena explored the supply chain between artisan food producers and the source of their ingredients was celebrated. Festival visitors were also able to learn more about growing their own produce in the workshops held by The One Show’s Christine Walkden

and Great British Allotment Challenge’s Jim Buttress.

Meanwhile Gardening World’s Carol Klein and Joe Swift were also on hand to hand out gardening advice for the dedicated gardeners, who also turned out in large numbers.

Malvern’s shows are very handy for bookending the summer. The Autumn show usually marks the final warm days, while the Spring show marks out the start – so let’s get ready for summer...