For more than 1,000 years, there’s been a cosmopolitan street market right in Norwich city centre. Today there are almost 200 stalls, 30 street food vendors and over 90 independent businesses. This very English market with a buzzy international vibe is home to flavours from places like Chile and Japan, Shanghai and Punjab – with plenty from Norfolk too! Snazzy striped awnings make this a photogenic tourist landmark, yet it’s still very much a local’s market. Students chat over noodles, grandchildren are treated to creamy hot chocolate and city workers pick up the season’s finest flowers, fruit and veg, bread, cheese and meat. In autumn all shapes of mushrooms and squashes are piled high, in spring you’ll find the earliest rhubarb and wild garlic. There are fantastic preloved clothes, zingy green houseplants and home essentials. It’s an exciting destination for Christmas shopping and sourcing delectable things for a winter feast.

The Saxon market was in Tombland, moved to its current site by the Normans and generations have traded local goods, heckled street entertainers and shared gossip here in the city’s historic heart. Stalls are proud to sell produce from all over Norfolk, yet the UK’s largest open-air market is centre of a coastal county, always looking outward to the sea, with a long tradition of exotic imported goods such as tulips from Amsterdam, furs from Russia, walrus ivory from Scandinavia and wool from Flanders. Contemporary tastes change and Norwich Market’s diverse character keeps up, always flourishing with the times.

Taste the world from the heart of Norfolk! Zena Leech-Calton is a professional chef, cookery tutor, recipe writer and author of the hugely popular Love Norwich Food blog. Known by everyone passionate about Norfolk’s vibrant food scene, she has thousands of followers on social media. Salty, sweet, sour, bitter, spicy – Zena knows what makes our taste buds sing and her Love Food Cookery Courses teach you to do the same! Sharpen up your culinary skills in her modern kitchen at beautiful Lodge Farm in Bawburgh, just 10 mins from Norwich City Centre. Zena’s speciality is Asian food but she knows her onions when it comes to all kinds of world cuisine. She serves up cookery courses covering 15 themes including Thai, Indian, Chinese, Japanese (including Sushi), Asian Street Food, Mexican, Spanish Tapas, Italian and Middle Eastern cooking, many with vegan and vegetarian alternatives. Or try a group Bread & Baking session. All you have to do is choose!

The flavour nuances of any culture’s cuisine shift according to region, terrain, season and community migration. Zena loves breaking recipes down and experimenting, to embrace the spirit of a cuisine whilst incorporating Norfolk’s inspirational local produce. She spices her courses with unrivalled knowledge of the Norwich food scene, liberally sprinkled with fascinating facts! From cocktails to canapés, cakes to comfort food, her recipes are made with readily available ingredients, so you can replicate them at home whether you’re rustling up week-night suppers or throwing a fabulous dinner party.

Popping corks, laughter, glasses clinking in friendship. Wine is woven through our celebrations from romantic autumn picnics to fabulous festive feasts. But why do wines taste so deliciously different? And how do you choose what to try?

Norwich Wine School is independently owned and proud to work with local suppliers.They host regular wine tastings, courses and food and wine experiences in Norfolk, ideal if you enjoy wine and want to learn more. All events are run by friendly wine tutors and are relaxed and informal with an emphasis on learning by tasting. The best way!Whether you’re new to wine, want to explore different countries or grape varieties, or simply want to enjoy good times in good company, there’s a tasting you.

Try the indulgent ‘Saturday Course’, a full day flagship food and wine experience. Ease into the morning with a glass of English Fizz and breakfast canapés and later, tuck into a delicious 3-course seasonal lunch. You’ll taste at least 15 wines, from all around the world, learn what makes them sing and find out how to make amazing food and wine pairings.‘Themed Food and Wine Evenings’ explore local wines matched with the world’s most famous cuisines. And informal ‘Food & Wine Workshops’ explain why wines can work well with some foods yet not others. Norfolk Wine School is excited about the future for wines made from grapes grown in Norfolk, supporting local vineyards by showcasing their wines and training the next generation of winemakers. Cheers!

Do you love cheese more than life itself? Then get in line for this tangy walking tour celebrating cheesemakers and cheesemongers! You’ll get to sample new artisan cheeses and discover what makes our independent producers so special. And the great thing about choosing farmhouse and specialist cheeses is you’re directly supporting farmers, small dairies and creameries, cheese sellers and their families.

Your friendly local guide will lead you through the historic streets and winding lanes of central Norwich, pointing out places of interest, and introduce you to the city’s leading independent cheese suppliers. You’ll chat with retailers and producers to learn how craft cheeses are made and what gives each its distinctive character.

So what do you get to eat? It might be chunks of hard, salty deliciousness perched on crackers or maybe a buttery scoop of melt in your mouth creaminess. Or perhaps a rich, voluptuous dish cooked with local Norfolk cheeses. Which will be your favourite? Nibbling bits of delectable cheese is the perfect prompt to grill your guide for top tips on putting together an impressive, perfectly balanced cheese board to indulge family and friends.

The tour visits public shop spaces, all good for wheelchair users. With advance notice, the guide offers tours in BSL, happy to adapt delivery styles for varied sensory needs. Please allow 1 and 1/2 hours for the tour which costs £19.99 per person and includes all the fantastic tasting samples.

Small, passionate and bubbly as the beer, the brilliant award-winning Redwell Brewery taproom team are well known for on (and off!) site merriment, guaranteeing you’ll drink, you’ll laugh, and you’ll learn! There’s a warm welcome for everyone whether you’re a long seasoned beer-lover or brand new to the world of craft brewing, there’s something special here for you.

So what happens during a tour? You’ll have an hour behind the scenes discovering each stage of the brewing process with entertaining guided tastings of all the excellent beers brewed at Redwell. Then enjoy two pints of your choice either to quaff on-site or to take away to enjoy at home. Mostly you’ll have a good laugh as the Brewery Tours are designed to be both informative and entertaining! The core range is created from scratch in small batches here at the Trowse brewery in Norwich, using locally grown Norfolk malt and all kinds of exciting hops from around the world. Beers range from the popular Chewy Passionfruit IPA and fruity Extra Pale Ale to a clear, golden, easy drinking Norwich Pilsner with the flavoursome depth of good Czech-style lager and a good honest stout called Lusty Newton, a proper winter comfort drink for dark beer lovers.

At Redwell, they believe in beers for everyone so the whole range is certified vegan and gluten-free, meaning everything can be enjoyed by one and all. Join them at the on-site Taproom to get yours!