The 21st annual Alresford Watercress Festival will be taking place on Sunday 18 May – a celebration of the start of the UK watercress season. But if you’re not a fan of the Green Stuff, and the prospect doesn’t fill you with delight, remember there’s so much more to see and do there!
With a phenomenal 130 stalls selling everything from jewellery to body care, garden ornaments to clothing, plants to art there’s something for everyone and with another 40 Hampshire Farmers Market stands there’s food and drink galore too! For those with a sweet tooth choose from the many cake and bake stalls, each with their own unique twist. Three fabulous Hampshire baking businesses returning to the festival are A Basing Bakes, The Homemade Brownie Company and Pauline Macarons.
A Basing Bakes produces a range of sweet and savoury gluten free products, many of which have won Great Taste Awards. Founded by Helen Lang and supported by husband Harvey the Basingstoke company has been part of the Watercress Festival for over five years. Helen and her family have close links to Alresford with her children having attended Perrins School and she herself having worked at Heidi’s Bakery in the town. “I was encouraged to start a business by Harvey. I had spent 10 years cooking in various venues including schools, retirement homes, a golf club and as an agency chef, but when I started I really didn’t know what direction to take the business in,” explains Helen. At the time everyone was baking cupcakes! I knew this wasn’t what I wanted to do. My friend’s mother was gluten intolerant and kept saying how limited the supermarket gluten free options were, so I started playing around with some gluten free recipes and found they were in great demand.” Come and enjoy A Basing Bakes’ range of meat & vegan pies, quiches, beef pasties, sausage rolls, scotch eggs, traybake cakes, cookies and sweet tarts. Just for the festival, they also create a delicious Smoked Trout & Watercress Quiche and Cheese & Watercress Scones – potential Barter’s Best* winners perhaps?
The Homemade Brownie Company also specialises in gluten free delights after founder Laura Bland was diagnosed with gluten intolerance following the birth of her second son and she was left craving the sweet treats she could no longer enjoy. Determined to find a solution, she began experimenting in her home kitchen. Years of trial and error led to the creation of a brownie recipe she adored — and it turned out others did too. Before long, word spread, leading to café orders and, in 2016, the launch of an online store delivering brownies nationwide. “This will be our fourth year at the Alresford Watercress Festival,” says Laura. “We look forward to returning every Spring due to the fun and unique nature of the event. It’s lovely to see all sorts of people travel to celebrate the best of locally sourced produce and it’s a great opportunity for locals to discover businesses that they may not know were right on their doorstep all along!” Come and sample one (or more!) of the 18 varieties of gluten free blondies and brownies on sale. They range from the award-winning Triple Chocolate Brownie to the tangy Raspberry Blondie. There’s something for everyone, with vegan options available too. The gauntlet has been laid down for Laura and team to create a delicious watercress brownie for the festival and Barter’s Best!
Pauline Genevet, on the other hand thrives on competition, so think twice before challenging her! In fact, Pauline Macarons exists today because a French friend dared her to master macarons. Had the challenge been croissants, the story might have taken a different turn! Known for being one of the trickiest pastries to perfect, macarons became Pauline’s obsession—one she conquered through relentless practice. During lockdown, she began sharing her creations on Instagram, and to her surprise, the response was immediate. People wanted to buy them! And so, in 2020, Pauline Macarons was born. This will be Pauline Macarons’ second appearance at the festival, and she’s excited to be back. “I absolutely loved the event! It was exceptionally well organised, with a vibrant atmosphere and streets filled with people eager to discover and enjoy quality food. The feedback I received was incredible, and it was wonderful to connect with so many new customers—some of whom have since become regulars.” Pauline will be showcasing six classic flavours—pistachio, caramel, strawberry, vanilla, lemon, and chocolate—alongside six surprise specials, which could include banoffee pie and coconut & strawberry. She’s also experimenting with a brand-new creation: the Maca-Cookie—a hybrid between a macaron and a cookie. Be sure to try it at the festival! And remember Pauline’s love for a challenge? Last year, she entered a bold and unique flavour – watercress & lemon – to the Barter’s Best competition which certainly turned heads. This year, she’s taking things even further, refining her recipe to create a flavour that’s not just daring, but absolutely irresistible.
So, at this year’s festival, come and celebrate not just a fabulous locally grown crop, but three of Hampshire’s finest SME bakery businesses too and find out which wins your personal Bake Off.
