Jamie Oliver and Alex James: 'Chefs are the new rock stars' As do we, these days. The nation's growing appetite and appreciation for all things foodie means that not only are new boutique food festivals popping up all over the country - celebrating cider, or oysters, or the local lamb - but at our established music festivals an exciting line-up of food is as important as the bands. Gone are the lentils and burned sausages, replaced by amazing local artisan produce and exotic street food - something, just like the music, for every mood or taste. The just-gone Glastonbury ("still the greatest show on earth," according to Alex) boasted not only of its headliners, but its impressive menu - festivalgoers could choose anything from smoked meats to sushi, speciality cheeses to stonebaked pizzas, elderflower liqueurs to crayfish ice cream. "British festivals are the best in the world, and I find that people who are discerning about music are also discerning about food," Alex says. It's amazing what passes for a festival in some cases, where it's used like a buzzword for rebranding posh stately homes for an afternoon. I feel strongly that there has to be camping, and the festival has to stand for something. He believes that our increasing fervour for festivals has something to do with a quest for "authenticity." And it plugs into our need to be outdoors. People have been dancing and eating on the land since prehistory, since the land was first tilled. In other words, music, food and family are a celebration waiting to happen, and their summer gathering certainly caters for families. With nine children between them (Alex has five, Jamie four), they are both experienced campers. Both are fans of big bell tents, and Alex advises on filling them with "all the fluffy things": he's the glamper of the two. As a festival veteran, thanks to his years in Blur, and now as a parent, Alex's top tip for the grown-ups is to "remember all the Ws. That's wellies, wet-wipes, waterproofs. And whisky. Definitely don't forget the whisky. "At least a third of our effort goes into making the kids giggle," says Jamie. That's what it's all about. They will be laying on a vintage funfair, welly whanging, a kids" kitchen master class, haystack mountain and an appearance by Justin Fletcher (aka Mr Tumble) from CBeebies, who Alex describes as "the matrix of most kids" happiness." Their parents can enjoy demonstrations by Rachel Khoo, Valentine Warner and Gizzi Erskine, cooking on stage beside Jamie. "There'll be lobster rolls, oysters and champagne, artisan hot dogs, street food and Michelin-starred stuff beside each other," he says. "Planning the music is a bit like designing a menu, picking the perfect bands for the starter, main and desserts," Alex adds, listing Basement Jaxx, K T Tunstall and children's hip hop favourite Rizzle Kicks as a few of the musical stars he's looking forward to. It's a lot easier to get them on board when they know there'll be great food. Chefs are the new rock stars. People really love seeing cooking live. While there will be a huge range of international foods, the "local farming area" underlines the fact that this festival is framed by the best of British produce. "We want people to take their taste buds for a tour," says Jamie, "but in this country we're surrounded by amazing food, and we want that to sing for the weekend too. We hope it will be quite gentle but also like a village fete on turbo. Alex suggests that they cook crayfish from the river near the house, and there are plans to grow more vegetables and farm more meat which can be incorporated into the event. Jamie nods vigorously in agreement, and they're off again, embroiled in their project. They don't deny that putting on a festival that attracts 15,000 people a day has been a "steep learning curve," however. "Getting great bands to play isn't hard, and can take no more than a five-minute phone call; Mark Owen [of Take That] is singing for his supper and I hope he'll be popular with the Cotswolds housewives," says Alex. Organising things like parking is the real work. Not to mention "handling" the talent, Jamie adds, momentarily serious. Rock stars are easy to deal with, but the person with the most difficult demands last year was definitely Peppa Pig, with a list as long as my arm. Never again. "No, seriously... last year we were running around doing our own thing, but it was a total laugh too," he says. His favourite memory is of "playing a really serious game of poker in the pop-up pub, when I got totally flash-mobbed by Alex leading the conga right through the game. I was just about to win and all. Goodness knows what will happen when cheese martinis are involved. Ultimately, though, it's about simple pleasures, says Jamie. The fact is, a pork bun can be a transcendentally amazing experience when you're eating it outside, in a field, with your family having fun around you. Life doesn't get much better than that, does it? Feel-good festival food: recipes from Jamie Oliver Roasted squash and feta salad This is one of my all-time favourite salads. I love the combination of soft and crunchy textures, and the contrast between the sweet roasted squash and the salty feta. Keep the elements separate, then assemble just before serving to ensure everything stays fresh. Serves 4 1 large butternut squash; Olive oil; sea salt and freshly ground black pepper; ½ teaspoon dried oregano; 1 dried red chilli; 2 ripe avocados; juice of 1 lemon; extra virgin olive oil; 4 spring onions, trimmed; 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds; ½ teaspoon cumin seeds; a large handful of pea shoots; ½ a bunch of fresh mint, leaves picked; 100g feta cheese Preheat your oven to 200C/400F/gas 6. Halve the squash then deseed and get rid of any gnarly bits of skin (there's no need to peel it). Cut the squash into 3cm chunks and place in a large roasting tray. Drizzle with a lug of olive oil and season well. Sprinkle with the oregano, crumble over the chilli and toss everything together until mixed well. Roast in the hot oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until golden and cooked through. Meanwhile, halve the avocados, remove the stones and discard, then finely slice the flesh. Place in a large bowl with the lemon juice and the same amount of extra virgin olive oil. Finely slice the spring onions and add to the bowl, then season well. Leave the roasted squash to cool for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, toast the pumpkin and cumin seeds in a hot, dry pan for a couple of minutes, or until golden and smelling fantastic. Add the seeds to the avocado bowl with the squash, pea shoots and mint leaves, then toss together. Spread the salad out on a serving platter and crumble over the feta. PS: If you're a bit of a meat fiend, you could add some crispy pancetta to the mix. Smoked mackerel and roast potato salad 750g new potatoes, larger ones halved; olive oil, 1 tablespoon coriander seeds; 2 lemons; sea salt and freshly ground black pepper; 4 garlic cloves; Extra virgin olive oil; 4 smoked mackerel fillets; 2 handfuls of watercress, washed and spun dry; a bunch of spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced; A handful of mixed cress, to serve Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Parboil your potatoes for about 5 to 6 minutes, drain, then allow to steam dry. Transfer to a roasting tray, crush them lightly and drizzle with a good lug of olive oil. Crush the coriander seeds in a pestle and mortar, and peel in thick strips of zest from one of your lemons. Add to the potatoes, season well, then add the juice from one lemon and the unpeeled garlic cloves. Toss it all together, then roast for 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are golden and crispy. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for a few minutes. Meanwhile, mix the juice of half the remaining lemon with three times as much extra virgin olive oil in a large bowl, season well and set aside. Scatter the cooled potatoes over a large platter, then flake over your smoked mackerel with a fork. Add the watercress and spring onions to the bowl with the lemon dressing and toss quickly until lightly coated. Scatter this on top of the fish and potatoes, sprinkle with the mixed cress, then serve with some fresh crusty bread. Recipes © Jamie Oliver. Photos by Chris Terry. Jamie Oliver and Alex James present The Big Feastival, on Aug 31-Sept 1. For tickets, visit The Big Feastival The first five readers (aged 18+) to email feastivalcompetition@housepr.com can win a pair of tickets for Sept 1.