Critic Grace Dent Launches New Food Festival in Deptford

The Guardian restaurant critic Grace Dent has joined up with event organiser Kate McKenzie to present Deptford Bites Live, which will take place on Saturday 7 April — a one-day food festival that will run from at Deptford Market Yard, and coincides with a new weekly market at the location, which — with places like Winemakers, Marcella, Deptford Esquire, Little Nan’s, Mama’s Jerk and The Full Nelson — has become the focus of the food-interested over the past 12 months.

Dent has curated a series of talks which asks pertinent questions of Deptford’s new status as ‘up and coming’? The talks will include:

• We Come in Peace — anchoring the past — featuring Adrian Luckie from Mama’s Jerk and Saima Arshad from Deptford Esquire, chaired by Chris Waywell, Associate Editor of Time Out. “With Deptford Market Yard now six minutes by train from London Bridge, a new demographic and the food scene focused on Deptford, can SE8 ever be the same again? And amid the realities of regeneration, can everyone play nicely together?”
• Deptford Ditches Dairy? — As Deptford’s demographic shifts, apparently the demand for vegan food goes upwards. “Is Deptford ready for a dairy-free, seitan-heavy, tofu-loving future? Vegan and non-vegans, chefs and restaurateurs, including Jay Brave gather to chat about whether Deptford is ready to go the same way as Hackney and be submerged with seitan. Or is veganism just another foodie fad?”
• ‘A new chapter. Who’s story is this anyway?’ — As Deptford starts this new chapter, who gets to tell this story? Grace Dent, Zoe Adjonyoh and MiMi Aye will discuss how at the highest levels of food and restaurant influence the power remains principally in the hands of a select group of people.

Dent said: “Working with Kate is endlessly inspiring. We both love finding and honouring new food talent and trying to re-set the agenda. I’m so excited about Deptford Bites Live as well as all the other forthcoming projects we’re working on in 2018.”

While McKenzie added: “I’m thrilled to be joining forces with Grace. Since working together last year [on London Food Month] it seemed only natural that we start something together. To be forging our own platforms for different voices to be heard is exciting and it feels like 2018, as we kick off a new market in Deptford, is the perfect time to start those conversations.”

The event on the 7 April will run from 10am to 4pm. Tickets can be booked here.