Get ready for a whirlwind of flavours at the popular Nottingham fair
Nottingham’s legendary pea man Terry Burdett at Goose Fair
One of the highlights of Nottingham’s Goose Fair is the food, which showcases flavours from around the world, from traditional mushy peas to Japanese gyozas and Indian curry.
For adrenaline junkies, it’s all about the thrills and spills of the white-knuckle rides, and they won’t be disappointed with this year’s exhilarating line-up, including the highest ever attraction to visit Forest Recreation Ground.
For others, it’s a chance to tuck into fairground classics like burgers, hot dogs and doughnuts, or something different like porras (more on this below), which haven’t been served at any other fairs in the UK, as well as seafood favourites such as cockles and crab, Jamaican dumplings, or curry and rice.
The fair runs until October 4. Opening times can be found here.
As anyone who has been to the fair knows, it doesn’t come cheap, so be prepared. Here’s our round-up of the prices you can expect to pay this year.
Mushy peas and mint sauce
This Nottingham delicacy is celebrating its 80th anniversary at the fair this year — and the price remains the same as the last two years at £3.
The Goose Fair institution, a pot of mushy peas with a spoonful of vinegary mint sauce, is a bit like Marmite, but those who love this tradition really love it, and generations have carried it on over the decades.
With its familiar green-and-white canopy and the pea story blasting out over the speakers, it’s the only traditional mushy pea stall at the fair that cooks them the old-fashioned way, from scratch.
Coining the phrase “no tinned peas ‘ere me duck”, the stall was started by Alf Burdett and his friend Walter Pike, and later, Alf’s son Terry took over the mantle, continuing to follow the authentic method.
Although Terry, 80, ‘retired’ in 2003, passing the ownership over to Nottingham-born-and-bred William Warwick, the legendary pea man still returns to help out because he enjoys the atmosphere and seeing familiar faces.
The peas are cooked the ‘proper’ way’, not warmed up out of a tin. After being soaked in water and soda for 24 hours, they’re cooked in large metal pots over hot coals behind the stall until they reach the perfect mushy consistency.
Terry said: “The price is still £3. We know people are struggling. It’s been busy so far. It’s hard work. I look forward to it, but I’m glad when it’s done.
“When I started here, there used to be mushy pea stalls all round the fairground, but they’ve all gone now. We’re the only one.”
Foot-long fries
Chips and fries are nothing new at the fair; they’ve been served for decades. But foot-long fries are a different story. Said to be the longest fries in the world, they’re back at the fair for a second year.
You can have them seasoned with a variety of flavours and drizzled with sauces such as ketchup, mayo, sweet chilli, and BBQ.
The extra-long fried potato snack will set you back £7 per portion, and cheese is an extra £1.
Seafood
A taste of the seaside has blown in from the east coast. New to the fair this year is the Fancy Crab, which will be a familiar name to the hordes of holidaymakers who flock there every summer.
The Ingoldmells-based company, which has a shop near Fantasy Island, secured a slot at the fair earlier this year— and then quickly had to find a trailer and kit it out.
Pots of prawns, mussels, cockles, crab sticks, whelks and crayfish are £5, dressed crabs are £10, and a mixed tray costs £13.
Lavinia Hughes, who grew up in The Meadows, before moving to Lincolnshire, said: “Mussels are my favourite with salt and vinegar. It’s a lot different from having the shop.
“I’m just getting to grips with where everything goes, it’s a lot of stock to try and squeeze into a tiny space, but we’ve got there.”
Asian flavours
If it’s Asian street food you’re after, there are several Chinese noodle bars, Thai food, Korean corn dogs, and for the first year, Oppa Kitchen is at the fair with gyozas.
The authentic Japanese dumplings come with chicken, pork, vegetables, prawn, beef and duck. A mixed box of ten in two flavours costs £10, with prices rising to £15 for a dim sum platter consisting of three siu mai and ten dumplings.
Wing Yan Hon said: “It’s so exciting to see so many fun things here and a lot of different types of food here as well.
“I’m a little bit scared of the rides, but I can see them from here and hear the children screaming, which makes the vibe of the fair.”
Indian food
MemSaab is a name you might associate with the fine-dining restaurant in Nottingham city centre or maybe the Robin Hood Beer and Cider Festival at Trent Bridge, but the award-winning Indian food is also available at Goose Fair.
Fancy a lamb madras, chicken makhani or channa masala with rice or fries for £12? Chicken naan tacos are also £12. If it’s something more snacky you’re after, vegetable and meat samosas, aloo paneer bhaji and fish pakoras are £6 for two.
To complete your Indian feast, a mango lassi is £4.
Cock-on-a stick
Goose Fair is the only place on earth you’ll find the cheeky confectionery. An institution here in Nottingham, newcomers to the city are always taken aback when they first hear the name.
The 154-year-old tradition is alive and well thanks to Welshman Tom Smith, who took over the business from pensioner Ray Brooks in 2023.
Ray used to make the cockerel-shaped lollipops in the garage of his Nottingham home, but now production takes place at a factory in North Wales
The cocks are sold in the usual spot, and Tom, whose family has brought rides to the Nottingham fair since 1850, also has a 60ft stall further along, selling all the traditional fairground favourites such as brandy snaps, Grantham Biscuits and toffee apples. He said: ‘’We’ve had a bit of a change in how we make them. It’s still all done by hand.”
The tradition was first started by Ray’s grandfather, Ben Whitehead, in 1872. The secret recipe was passed down to Ray, who took over the stall when he came out of the RAF in 1950 and he became a real draw at the fair.
The cocks come in small £3, medium £5 and £10 for a large one.
Sweet treats
New to the fair this year are Spanish deep-fried porras. The dough’s not unlike churros, but it’s thicker and hollow, so it can be filled with Nutella, milk or white chocolate, or Biscoff.
Stallholder Stanley Reeves, from Manchester, has been attending the fair ever since he was born 42 years ago. He said: “Porras has never been here before. We do churros normally, but due to there being lots of churros stalls here this year, we decided to diversify and try something a bit different.”
One piece costs £4, three are £8 and six pieces are £12.
If you’re more of a traditionalist when it comes to fried dough, then it’s got to be doughnuts. You’re more likely to smell them before you see them. Follow your nose to any of the stalls dotted across the site. Sugar doughnuts are £5 for four or £6 with Nutella.
Brandy snaps, gingery Grantham biscuits and honeycomb, the fair’s more old-fashioned sweet treats, are selling for £4.50 a bag.
Burgers and hot dogs
After flying 280ftin the air on the new ride, Elevate 85, or being flung around, tipped upside down and hurtled into the sky, you might be ready for some grub.
A sizzling burger or hot dog is just the job. At the Great British Carvery, a cheeseburger will set you back £6 while the Full Monty, a double beefburger with double cheese and bacon, salad and slaw, costs £14.
Over at another stall, Farmhouse, quarter pounders are £6, cheeseburgers £7, and triple cheeseburgers are a tenner. A jumbo hot dog is £6.
Meanwhile, the German Sausage Company is frying bratwurst, Krakow cheesy sausage, chilli beef sausage and bockwurst for £9. To add chips, it’ll cost a fiver.
Moose Bar
For those who fancy a tipple at the fair, the Moose Bar is the only place for an alcoholic bev. If the weather’s good, you can sit in the beer garden.
The wooden chalet, which takes its name from the giant moose head dominating the frontage, is cosy inside with booths and gingham-curtained ‘windows’ overlooking snow-capped mountains and cattle.
A pint of Peroni, Birra Moretti, Thatcher’ Gold or Guinness will set you back £7.60 or £4 for a half. Bottles of Corona and Budweiser are £6.50 (the same as last year), but a glass of wine has risen by 20p to £8.70.
Soft drinks such as Coke and lemonade are £5 a pint or £3 for half. Spirits with a mixer remain the same at £8. If you really want to splash out, a bottle of Laurent-Perrier champagne is £120.
