A festival of flavours in Brussels!
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Faye EastJust a few days ago, Brussels Park played host for the first time to eat! BRUSSELS, drink! BORDEAUX, the festival of food (and wine) lovers. Here is a report of the event, which was organised in collaboration with visit.brussels and "Bordeaux Fête le Vin".
Something for all tastes
From six large tents which offer shelter from the wind and rain, a delicious scent, a clever mix of aromas, spreads through Brussels Park. There's no doubt about it, we are at the fourth eat! BRUSSELS, drink! BORDEAUX festival.
With no fewer than 28 food stalls, five artisan stalls and three gourmet stalls, there is something here to suit all tastes. Every effort has been made to satisfy a wide audience, with the food on offer ranging from unusual and pricey dishes to the good old burger with fries.
The friendly and aromatic atmosphere within the tents makes our mouths water. And this is exactly where the danger lies. Although the dishes cost a maximum of €14 (£10) each, we quickly notice that our tokens are running out faster than our appetites.
To finish off, a stall offers us cookery lessons for €25 (£18) per person. This is a way for the label to promote itself and for the public to take a course without paying through the roof.
Not just great food...
Dotted here and there between the huge tents are seven small half-covered stalls. These host the wine growers of Bordeaux, grouped according to their appellations. The welcome is warm and the offerings varied: robust, mellow, round, full-bodied wines...a wide choice which delights the taste buds and goes to your head.
The Wine Pass seems good value to us: for the price of a bottle of wine, we can try twelve 5cl samples of wine from the stalls (we remembered, of course, to use the spittoons provided and to make the most of our pass over several days!) As well as this, the pass gives us access to one of the classes at the Ecole du Vin, providing the perfect opportunity to expand one’s wine knowledge and then show it off at the next dinner party!
The future of eating
Last but not least, the festival has designated a space for the "Brussels Village". This section welcomes the participants of the creative appeal launched by the Brussels-Capital Region, the aim being to answer the question "How will we eat in Brussels in ten years time?"
Showcasing these projects via the festival is a truly great idea. However, we are sad that due to the rainy weather, they have been confined to a corner, under the least inviting tents. 
Roll on next year
On the whole, we have really enjoyed our time at the festival and can't wait for next year's one. The change of location and the bad weather did not affect attendance and the organisers have already invited us to the 10th edition of "Bordeaux Fête le Vin" in Bordeaux on 23 June 2016. What a great opportunity to take a little weekend break and to get out of the capital!
Translated from Un festival de goûts à Bruxelles !