For all city locals yearning for a quick escape to the country, Angel is the place to be this weekend. The highly anticipated Country Living Magazine Spring Fair 2015 is in full swing, offering a switch up to the London way of life.
Taking place at the Business Design Centre in Angel, the Spring Fair features over 400 exhibitors from small startups to well-established brands. The exhibition kicked off on 17 March and is on until tomorrow (22 March).
The fair itself has been running for over 20 years and typically attracts a high proportion of locals as well as visitors from across London and the home counties.
Catherine Gee, from Country Living Magazine, has worked closely on the current exhibition. She said:
We opened on Wednesday and it has been absolutely amazing. The Spring Fair is about 20 years old but this is by far one of the best.
Anastasia Conti, a first-time visitor to the fair, said: “It’s been great. I live locally but this is the first time I’ve been and I’ve really enjoyed it.”
Chef Patrick Le Mesurier, founder of Le Mesurier, which produces a range of natural condiments, said: “We’ve been doing the show for the last three years and it’s a really good platform to show your products to the general public.
“We’ve moved from the usual position upstairs to downstairs and the footfall has been definitely much better down here so quite pleased.”
At the fair this year, special features include a Country Living Theatre for panel discussions and lifestyle tips from interior design columnist Alison Cork and horticulturist Lucy Summers.
Elsewhere, there are chocolate-making classes in the Craft & Create Rooms and a ‘glamping’ inspired garden which has its very own vintage VW camper van.
Chocolatier Fiona Sciolti, from North Lincolnshire, has showcased at the Spring Fair for the last four years. She said: “It’s fabulous. They’ve brought the food hall down from the top so it’s more light and airy and it’s just a better environment. Customers have loved it and us traders have really loved it as well.”
Ms Gee said there are some challenges with the fair that did not exist before. “20 years ago, a lot of the small producers, particularly the food producers, had to come to something like this in order to reach an urban audience. But they don’t need to do that anymore because there are farmers markets.”
They’ve got websites, and they can sell to someone who lives on Upper Street via mail order so they have less of a need to come to an event like this. So that’s why we try to add all the other bits so it’s generally a great day out.
Tomorrow is the last day of the Spring Fair 2015. Tickets can be purchased here.
This was my 5th Spring Fair and by far the best one so far. Lots more Artisan stands than commercial ones which showed more support for the smaller business. I came on the Wednesday to listen to the guests talking about small businesses as I am in the process of taking the plunge myself with a good friend of mine. I found them inspiring and encouraging. My friend could’nt make it so I gave hers to a nice lady who was in the queue for a ticket. Karma repaid itself by being given a complimentry ticket from a stand holder, this meant my friend could go today. We both agreed are project is unique to anything that we saw and are very excited to get started. I hope you will see us their next year.
Thank you
Vanessa Jones (subscriber)