Yes, Jimmy is happy!

Not just because his festival is a stonking success and a vast improvement on an already highly satisfactory inaugural year, but because the lucky chap has a copy of the latest issue of IP1. That’s right, Jimmy likes IP1*, and well, we like Jimmy too. Both of us share a passion for local produce, you see, which explains our mutual respect… Anyway, that’s enough piggybacking off the picture of Jimmy methinks, what of the festival?

Well, as I say, this year was way better than last, due mainly to some much improved logistics (queues, what queues?) and the general impression that Jimmy now knows what he’s doing. Upon entering the festival site, I was very quickly struck by a sense of balance. That like a good recipe, everything had been carefully measured to produce exacting and satisfying results (More Gary Rhodes than Jamie Oliver, but not quite Heston Blumenthal, if you get my drift.)

...Which brings me nicely on to the food. Wafting over the weirdly spongy plains were aromas to tempt even the fullest of patrons, with well-chosen stalls offering mouth-watering fodder on which to endlessly gorge (I managed four different plates from fresh and spicy Mexican to middle-class fish and chips and only wished Jimmy had thought to include a vomitorium. Maybe next year.).

Weather-wise it was pretty darn OK, with several spells of glorious sunshine interspersed with the odd gloomy cloud cover. Not that I should really include the weather as part of this festival review, as it really is out of the organisers’ control, but it does make quite a difference, doesn’t it?

So, to the main course and cuisine metaphor number two, and those acts that graced the main stage. I’m not going to lie, I wasn’t jumping up and down with disco fever during Jo Wiley’s stint or really was that enthralled at The Hoosier’s oddly retro set (although many others clearly were), but Newton Faulkner certainly brought class and comedy to the stage and IP1 favourite Ed Sheeran very much held his own throughout his early afternoon set (it really is a good time to be ginger nowadays).

But then, the music at Jimmy’s isn’t totally the point. As is true of pretty much all festivals. What really counts is a festival’s ambiance, its ability to suck you into one of those blissful and hazy day-long meanders. And that’s certainly where Harvest at Jimmy’s scores well over its competitors (not that it really has any). With all that scrumptious grub and incredibly beautiful natural surroundings, it’s a seriously great place to kick back. It’s also very unpretentious despite all the London influence, and caters for everyone – mum, dad, moody cousin, uncle, nan, even the hyperactive nieces and nephews.

Considering it’s on your doorstep, my advice is that you start making Jimmy’s a permanent date in your iCal, cos if you don’t buy the tickets, hoards of revelers from across the country will. And something tells me that just like IP1, Roy Keane and farm shops, keeping Harvest at Jimmy’s local wouldn’t be such a bad thing.

Words: Howard Freeman
Opportunist iPhone snap: Olivia Lockhart

*We can’t verify whether Jimmy actually likes IP1 or not, we’re just assuming that he does on the basis that most locals do!