Texas BBQ comes to Northampton as Delapré Food Festival returns for 2026

FestivalsEvents
Written By Lynne Dickens

We’re pleased to share that the much-loved Delapré Food Festival will return this summer, bringing a weekend of food, family activities and entertainment to the beautiful grounds of Delapré Abbey.

Taking place on Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 June 2026, the festival promises to be its most ambitious yet, combining artisan food and drink with a celebration of Northamptonshire’s vibrant cultural and heritage offer.

A celebration of food and place

Set within the historic surroundings of Delapré Abbey, the festival will once again transform the Abbey’s lawns into a lively gathering space, with artisan stalls, tastings, demonstrations and family-friendly activities.

Black and white photo of Texan chef Colter Peck in his kitchen

Texan chef, Colter Peck

A major highlight for 2026 is the appearance of Colter Peck, a renowned Texas BBQ specialist who will be travelling from the United States to headline the chef demonstration stage and Live Fire Cooking School. His presence brings an exciting international dimension to the festival, alongside a strong line-up of local chefs and producers.

Visitors can also enjoy cheese masterclasses, wine and gin tastings, and live fire cooking demonstrations, as well as a new Saturday Street Food Evening, extending the festival into the evening with live music and a vibrant market atmosphere.

Food, heritage and community

As well as celebrating food and drink, the festival offers visitors the chance to explore Delapré Abbey itself. Entry to the event includes access to the historic house, providing an opportunity to discover one of Northampton’s most significant heritage sites while enjoying the festival.

The weekend also retains its strong family focus, with activities including a free circus, children’s entertainment and hands-on experiences designed to appeal to all ages.

Festival founder Crispin Slee highlights the importance of bringing together food, community and place - something that aligns closely with the values of many of our Forum members.

“We are incredibly excited to bring Delapré Food Festival back for 2026 with our most ambitious line-up yet. Bringing a talent like Colter Peck over from Texas is a huge coup for Northampton; it bridges the gap between our local ‘Live Fire’ scene and the world-class BBQ culture of the States. From our free family circus to the new evening street food party, we’ve designed this weekend to be a true celebration of great food and great vibes in one of the town’s most beautiful heritage settings.”
— Festival founder, Crispin Slee
Visitors at a previous food festival at the venue enjoying the grounds and food

Plan your visit

Dates: Saturday 6 June (10am–5pm, plus Street Food Evening 5pm–9pm) and Sunday 7 June (10am–4pm)
Location: Delapré Abbey, Northampton
Tickets: Advance booking required (children under 5 free)
Parking: Free on-site parking available

For full details and ticket information, visit: https://delaprefoodfestival.co.uk

Lynne Dickens

Lynne is currently a part-time freelance website designer and marketer. Formerly trading full-time as Spot On Creative is a Northants-based creative team who have the hard-earned skills, expertise and industry knowledge that only come from having worked for years in advertising. It was all managed by Lynne Dickens who has over 20 years’ experience in marketing communications, and ten years in website design and build, and creative team project management.

Lynne is also a qualified art historian and has some expertise in curating fine art exhibitions and producing all of the catalogues, posters and supporting material to create a successful event.

All the guys in the team have worked for one-man bands, SMEs and large blue-chip multinationals in just about every sector, field and industry. Collectively, we can come up with great ideas, superb design and copy, and exceptional photography for anything from websites to email campaigns, branding to brochures – and everything in between.

And the beauty of Spot On Creative is that we’re big in creativity, experience and knowledge, but small in overheads and invoices. So we’re a much more sensible and affordable option for you than a larger advertising agency or marketing company.

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