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Drumroll please…the FIFTH edition of Glasto Essential Eats is here! The best of the food that will fuel you through five days of music, partying and cider on Worthy Farm has been updated for 2023. We have had to wave goodbye to some regulars, but we welcome back plenty of old favourites and some very exciting new joiners!
Not long to go now…see you on the farm!
It’s just not Glasto until you’re sat in the sun (we live in hope!) between sets at The Pyramid and someone creeps up with a massive pot of deliciously melty Anna Mae’s macaroni cheese, immediately shoving a spoon in your face and reminding you instantly how perfect this food is for soaking up those afternoon ciders. Available both in classic and pimped up versions, Anna Mae’s are renowned for the huge skillets of steaming cheesy goodness they serve up, and I can’t wait to see them back again this year – it simply isn’t Glasto without them.
Where? Between the Bandstand and Pyramid, as well as in the Acoustic Field
Confirmed
Buddha Bowls
The menu is small but that just means they do what they do really, really well. Wholefood Heaven’s Buddha Bowls have been a crowd favourite for a long time: vegan massaman curry bowls (unless you opt to add halloumi, which I personally can never resist) with potatoes, carrots, pineapple, homemade pickle, seasonal greens and brown rice. Healthy, full of flavour and a great way to get some much needed nutrition into your festival diet.
Where? Between Pyramid and Left Field
Confirmed
The big yellow American school bus serving curries is a part of the Glastonbury furniture. Paneer curries, veggie thali, daal and lassis make up The Bhangra Bus’ vegetarian and vegan Indian offering. One of the most unique things about this old favourite is you can also perch inside the big yellow bus to eat your food – a welcome respite.
Where? Left Field
Confirmed
Consistently one of my favourite Glasto eats since 2019, I’m reeeeaally hoping that Burger & Beyond will be back again for 2023. These burgers bang hard, and around day 4 when you need a bit more of a pick me up than usual, their cheesy bacon burger can do magical things. You know you’ve found a winner when there is silence between friends as they chow down, bar the sporadic mumblings of ‘oh my God, oh my God’.
Where? The Other Stage
Unconfirmed, but quietly confident – a Glasto regular
To my detriment, I am a full on coffee snob and I rarely function without at least two black Americanos first thing. At Glasto I have been well known to opt for a breakfast cider as I emerge from my tent, but Camper Coffee Co’s ethically sourced and freshly roasted coffee have made sure that I can get a great caffeine hit on my way down to the stages.
Where? Between Pyramid and The Other Stage
Confirmed
Brilliant news – Club Mexicana’s famous vegan tacos, nachos and burritos will be doing everyone a kindness and gracing Glastonbury goers with their presence once again this year. Having gone from strength to strength with their restaurants in London, you can be sure to hit the spot with one (or several) of their tacos between sets. BBQ short rib, cheezeburger, al pastor, fried chick’n and chorizo sweet potato…tacos, burritos, nachos – but they’re all vegan. Doing what they do like no one else.
Where? Leftfield
Confirmed
A Glastonbury classic by now, Dosa Deli are back again with their huge dosas and somehow even bigger onion bhajis. The Mysore Masala Dosa with spiced potatoes and hot garlic chutney is a hit, as is the paneer Chilli Cheese Dosa with red onion, tomato and channa dhal chutney. Once again their Silver Hayes spot will be dedicated to Dippy Dogs, serving up vegan corn dogs to the masses.
Where? Dosa Deli at Williams Green; Dippy Dogs at Silver Hayes
Confirmed
Oh man, I love Eat The Farm so much. They have dragged me through some dicey mornings with their incredible breakfast burgers of sausage patty, melted cheese, crispy streaky bacon, and a fried egg in a toasted brioche bun – all for only £6!! Later in the day their huge, beautifully messy, juicy burgers made with quality meat and perfectly melted cheese will sort you right out. They’ll have a big old board out front and can proudly say they are once again without question, one of 2023’s Essential Eats.
Where? Between West Holts and Left Field
Confirmed
Hanoi Kitchen
Steaming noodle pots full of flavour and crispy spring rolls from Vietnamese street food traders Hanoi Kitchen will be back this year, and I’m already looking forward to making them a priority on my Glasto meal plan. Find them at Williams Green!
Where? Williams Green
Confirmed
Happy Maki
With a solid commitment to sustainability and quality, I’m thrilled the guys from Happy Maki will be back on the farm this year, serving vegan sushi full of flavour to festival goers looking for something a little different and varied from your usual festival fare. Hoisin duck and chicken alternatives sit alongside Thai sweet potato and avocado veggie sushi burrito rolls on their festival menu.
Where? Silver Hayes
Confident
Fresh fish from the Cornish coast cooked in authentic Goan recipes make The Goan Seafood Company an continual favourite at Glastonbury. Their Goan Mackerel Masala Dahl curry is a festival staple, and their hot smoked salmon kedgeree serves as a welcome alternative to the usual bacon and sausage baps you often get for breakfast.
Where? West Holts
Confirmed
Greek Expectations
Kebabs but make them quality. Greek Expectations’ chicken is cooked in a special blend of herbs and spices, served with Mediterranean flat breads, and their halloumi is traditionally made in Cyprus, so you know you’re getting the real deal here. As well as kebabs they do falafel, salad boxes and stuffed vine leaves. There’s always a decent queue too, which is a very good sign!
Where? TBC but usually between Pyramid and The Other Stage
Unconfirmed, but quietly confident – a Glasto regular confident
La Rotisserie
Did you know you don’t even have to miss your Sunday roast at Glastonbury? Okay, a bit of a stretch maybe, but La Rotisserie are back serving up delicious spit roast rotisserie chicken in boxes and pitta with sage and onion stuffing, coleslaw, salad and a dressing of your choice, which is a pretty solid alternative.
Where? Between Silver Hayes and Other Stage
Confirmed
Consistently one of the best Glasto food offerings, this isn’t only one of the best meals I’ve had on the farm but one of the best burritos I’ve had, period. Choose from slow cooked chipotle beef brisket, slow cooked pulled pork with fennel and orange, garlic chicken breast or vegetarian, add lashings of homemade salsa and banging guacamole and a sauce to suit your spice level, and you’ve got one hell of a meal. No excuses for missing this one – the Luardos converted milk float is bright pink and sits in prime location at The Other Stage.
Where? The Other Stage
Confirmed
More Words: here
Manic Organic
A Glastonbury institution for well over 30 years, Manic Organic are as much a part of Glasto as the pyramid stage. Veggie curries and stir fries make up just some of Manic Organic’s organic, plant based menu – definitely one of the more nutritious food stalls you’ll find on this list! Look out for their multicoloured letters in Greenfields.
Where? Greenfields
Unconfirmed but confident – a Glasto regular
Mexican Seoul
A brilliant find at last year’s festival, I’m psyched that Mexican Seoul are returning to Worthy Farm this year. Their double fried chicken wings coated in their award winning Gochu-Gang hot sauce, topped with sesame seeds and spring onions absolutely BANG. Definitely seek these guys out – they’ll be near BBC Introducing.
Where? Between Pyramid and Other, right near BBC Introducing
Confirmed
A bowl of No Bones Jones’ legendary veggie fritters is a Glastonbury staple. Served with salad and sauces, a bowl of these fried veggies are the perfect food to soak up a bit of cider and sustain you through a day of dancing in fields as you continue through til dusk (or dawn, if so inclined). Another all veggie and vegan stall also serving salads and curries, they value serving high quality food with minimal impact on the environment. It doesn’t get more Glasto than that.
Where? Yeoman’s Bridge near West Holts
Unconfirmed, but quietly confident – a Glasto regular
Only Jerkin’
I’m a massive, massive fan of fried chicken. It’s my drunk food, it’s my hangover food, ergo, it’s my festival food. Having one of my favourite fried chicken street food trucks back at Glasto this year is going to make me a very happy festival goer indeed. Their jerk gravy and homemade dips elevate their triple dipped battered chicken to a whole other level. A must try.
Where? West Holts
Confirmed
Paellaria
The colourful stalls of Paellaria will entice you in with the smell of Spain. Their giant pans of simmering paella are all gluten free, with meat and vegan versions available. A refreshing change from your usual burgers and other fried food – a welcome alternative when you’re five days deep into the festival world!
Where? Between Pyramid and West Holts, and between Other and Silver Hayes
Confirmed
Samosa
Sorry I literally do not know the name of this place other than the sign that says Samosa and the fact they do 4 banging samosa for a fiver, to the left of the Other Stage, and are usually there every year. I truly love this place; they serve the absolute perfect between-sets snack when you’re not ready for a whole meal. They often run out of certain flavour of samosa by Sunday, which says a lot.
Where? Other Stage
Unconfirmed but quietly confident – a Glasto regular
These guys will sort you out. The Cheese Truck takes the simple few ingredients to make the humble cheese toastie and add a bit of magic to create something to write home about. That magic is in the form of complementary ingredients to pimp up the type of cheese you’ve opted for – they usually have cheddar, brie, goat’s cheese and a blue, and all look and sound as good as the other. Perfect festival food.
Where? Between Pyramid and San Remo, near Oxfam tent. Second site is to the corner of The Other Stage on the way to Silver Hayes.
Confirmed
More Words: here
VFC by Club Mexicana
Vegan Fried Chicken by Club Mexicana will be on the farm this year, serving up beautifully crispy can’t-believe-it’s-not-chicken. Fried chick’n burgers complete with vegan bacon and cheeze, plus boxes filled with chick’n and the holy grail of the potato – the curly fry? Yes please!
Where? Near Pyramid
Confirmed
If you’ve found the 5th (!!!) edition of Glasto’s Essential Eats useful and want to show your appreciation, you can buy me a coffee (or a pint of cider!) to fuel me through scoping out more Essential Eats at Glasto for next year’s festival here. Thank you!
