Shropshire Festivals’ popular walk and eat event is taking place this month. Almost 500 tickets have been sold for Shropshire Tasty Trail, which takes place in Ellesmere on Sunday, April 26th. It will be the first time the event has gone ahead since 2023.

A new 9.5 mile route has been plotted that will have three stations where the starter, main course, and dessert will be served along the way. The menu features food and drink products from the local area.

The Oteley Estate in Ellesmere are allowing access across their private farmland and woods for the walk, with staggered start times to keep walkers spread out. Homegrown meat from the farming estate features on the menu, with Oteley Made Sausage Rolls and Oteley’s Slow Cooked Beef Bourguignon. Vegetarians can enjoy an Oteley Made Spiced Sweet Potato Chickpea Roll starter and the Oteley Three Bean Chilli for their main course. Dessert will be a mixed berry cheesecake from Greenfields Farm Shop.

The featured drinks producers are The Special Cider Company from near Bridgnorth, Stonehouse Brewery from Oswestry, and The Shropshire Distillery from Ellesmere, plus soft drinks from Heartsease Farm and Wenlock Water. Aaron & Partners Solicitors are providing cup-holding lanyards to help walkers carry their drinks.

The Oteley Estate’s private 10-acre garden and stableyard will mark the finish line of the trail. Oteley’s on-site farm shop and café will be open on the day.

Clare Mainwaring from the Oteley Estate said, “We’re thrilled to partner with Shropshire Festivals on this event. Having a way to show locals our beautiful estate and how the animals have space to roam freely as they grow is really important. The whole ethos of celebrating local food, enjoying the countryside responsibly, and hosting an environmentally low-impact event is brilliant. We hope the walkers enjoy a visit to our farm shop and café after the event.”

Shropshire Festivals’ Director of Fun, Beth Heath, adds, “The return of Shropshire Tasty Trail is proving to be very popular! Several ticket time slots have already sold out, so if you’d like to come along, don’t delay in booking yours.”

Tickets are £49.95 per person for a ticket with alcoholic drink options, or £45.95 with soft drinks only. Tickets include admittance to the walk, a three-course meal along the trail, a drink at each stop, a reusable half pint cup, and a lanyard. There will be toilets and water refill stations at each stop.

There will be free parking and dogs on leads are welcome (they may need to be lifted over stiles on the route). Due to stiles and uneven ground, this event isn’t suitable for wheelchairs or pushchairs.

To find out more and purchase tickets, visit www.shropshiretastytrails.co.uk. All dietary requirements will need to be passed on to the Shropshire Festivals’ team at the time of booking.