The Kangaroo UK team spent Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th May 2026 volunteering at Ashby Food Festival, a two day community event at the Bath Grounds in Ashby de la Zouch. We joined the Realfest crew to help welcome more than 5,000 visitors, support 60 traders and keep the music running across both days. For us, it was a chance to give back to the community we live and work in.

What is Ashby Food Festival?

Ashby Food Festival is a family-friendly food and music event held annually at the Bath Grounds in Ashby de la Zouch, Leicestershire. It is organised by Realfest and brings together independent food traders, makers, live music acts and the local community for a weekend of eating, drinking and live entertainment.

The 2026 edition ran across Saturday and Sunday in extreme heat, with shaded gazebos set up so families could rest between visiting stalls.


What Happened Over the Weekend?

Here is what the festival looked like in numbers, based on figures shared by Realfest organiser Sharon after the event:

• 5,000+ attendees across the two days
• 60 traders ranging from Greek street food to handcrafted wooden gifts
• 8 live music acts spread across Saturday and Sunday
• 3 large gazebos (each 4m x 8m) put up to shelter visitors from the heat
• 2 new eating contests introduced this year, a chilli eating competition and a hot dog eating competition, each with a £20 cash prize for the winner

The weather was the story behind the story. Temperatures climbed high enough that the team's first job each morning was making sure there was shade, water and somewhere cool for families with young children to sit down.

Why Did the Kangaroo UK Team Volunteer?

We volunteered because being present in our community matters to us. Kangaroo UK is a local business, and the people walking through the festival gates are our neighbours, our clients and our friends.

Our purpose for being there was simple:



1. Give back to the community that supports us throughout the year
2. Be inclusive, helping make sure the event was clean, safe and welcoming for everyone who turned up
3. Be present, not just sponsoring from a distance but rolling up our sleeves alongside the Realfest team
4. Celebrate what we love, which is good food, good drink and live music

"We wanted to do more than just put our name on something. Standing in a high vis vest, helping people find the toilets and lifting gazebos in 30 degree heat is the kind of community work that actually counts." Said Peter Jones, Director at Kangaroo UK.

What Did the Team Actually Do?

Volunteering at a festival of this size involves a long list of small, useful jobs. Across the weekend, the Kangaroo UK team helped with:



• Setting up and taking down the three large shade gazebos
• Greeting visitors and answering questions about the event
• Supporting traders with anything they needed during busy periods
• Helping run the chilli and hot dog eating competitions on the main stage
• Steward duties around the music stage and seating areas
• General site support during the hottest parts of each day

Who Organises Ashby Food Festival?

Ashby Food Festival is organised by Realfest CIC, an independent events company that runs food and music festivals and the monthly Farmers Markets in Ashby. Their team handles trader bookings, music line ups, site logistics and licensing. You can find Realfest at enquiries@realfest.co.uk.

You can also follow the festival on Facebook below

What Does Community Mean to Kangaroo UK?

Community, for us, is not a marketing word. It is the people we share a town with. We believe that local businesses have a responsibility to show up, not just when there is something to sell, but when there is something to do.

That belief shapes how we work. It is why we choose to volunteer at events like Ashby Food Festival, support local causes throughout the year, and put time, not just money, into the place we call home.

If you run a community event in Ashby de la Zouch, Leicestershire or the surrounding area and you'd like an extra pair of hands, get in touch. We'd genuinely like to hear from you.

When is Ashby Food Festival 2027?

Realfest have confirmed that Ashby Food Festival will return in 2027.

Exact dates have not yet been announced. Follow the Ashby Food Festival Facebook page for the announcement when it goes live.

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Published by The Kangaroo UK Team on 27th May 2026. Kangaroo UK is based in Ashby de la Zouch and works with clients across both in the UK as well as around the world. We believe in supporting the community we are part of.