Festivals have always appealed to me. Portaloos and shared showers not so much. Although festivals are now a 21st-century rite of passage for crowds of teens and 20-somethings, who pay fortunes to make pilgrimages to muddy fields, for many of us of a certain age, the prospect of attending one is more frightening than fun.
But what if you could get all the good bits without freezing your tuchus in a chemical toilet? Just the magic of enjoying live music under starlit skies plus al fresco dining and (almost the best bit) proper toilets, pukka toilet paper and the knowledge that you’ll be heading home to your warm bed at the end of the evening?
Credit to @shotbymillie
Music is just part of the entertainment at this festival (@shotbymillie)
Tessa Clarfelt and Elissa Gold are part of an all-woman team who may have made this a reality — creating a series of mini festivals that tick all these boxes within driving distance of north-west London — at Home Farm in Elstree. Clarfelt and Gold are (respectively) creative director and event producer/project manager of the festival season that runs from June to September at the Hertfordshire site.
The pair have spent their working lives putting on events and still think nothing of getting down and dirty in festival fields.
Clarfelt started her events career during her university days at Edinburgh, staging charity fashion shows; while Gold (who grew up in Stanmore) got the bug doing backstage work at drama and dance shows — but in her early twenties found herself helping stage simchas at a north-west London venue in the early days of her events career.
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Dynamic duo: Elissa Gold and Tessa Clarfelt
“I was working at a gorgeous fine-dining restaurant in an old post office, organising all of the catering, the wine and sourcing all the décor and the DJs etc,” says Gold.
Both have spent years not just working on festivals but also on corporate events around the world and met while working on Oxfordshire festival Wilderness, which they are both still are involved in every year.
The Home Farm festival evolved almost because of the pandemic. “The estate director, Jessica Allen-Back, came up with the idea as they owned this amazing land and had always wanted to do events. At the time, this was an opportunity to do something socially distanced that people would not be intimidated by when there was so little else going on.”
Coming out of the pandemic, both were delighted at the chance to work on this and felt it offered something special. “Jess [the festival founder, whose family owns Home Farm] described us as the antithesis of the Hyde Park events.
“We offer that kind of series of entertainment but with slightly less well-known artists and in a more intimate setting.”
On a visit to the site, Clarfelt walked me through the festival field, where long tables will be set up for diners to enjoy the food events sitting in open fields, or where those there to see one of the concerts will enjoy pre-event food and drink — included in their ticket price — before walking through a fairy-lit woodland glade to the small rustic stage.
Edu Hawkins credit(3)
A bar at the festival (Edu Hawkins)
“When people walk down the woodland path and it’s all lit up; the sun’s going down they just get goose bumps — it’s very magical” explains Gold, who genuinely seems to love these events, which are limited to a maximum of 350 people. “There are no huge crowds or long queues, and the music is all very melodic and tranquil.”
As well as the concerts there are a series of food-based evenings run by Ben Quinn of Woodfired Canteen, who visits from Cornwall to work with guest chefs on a special menu cooked over fire. In the past, guest chefs have included Honey & Co’s Itamar Srulovich and Sarit Packer.
“This year the line-up includes Josh Katz of Berber & Q, and Noor Murad from Ottolenghi’s Test Kitchen,” says Clarfelt.
The evenings start with drinks followed by a three-course meal. Katz’s session will take place on June 8 and follows others from guest chefs on June 6 and June 7, while Murad’s feast will take place in early September and will also be part of a series of dinners fronted by chefs.
She and Gold both feel that growing up celebrating Jewish festivals and Friday nights around tables laden with food have given them plenty of inspiration.
“There’s something in the way I’ve described the family feeling and how we work with collaborators that connects with my upbringing and close family connections” says Clarfelt.
“Those moments everyone comes together like on Friday nights.”
It’s the same for Gold: “There’s a real sense of togetherness that’s in my upbringing, even though we weren’t especially religious.
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Delicious food at the festival
"I had family in Israel, and we used to spend the whole summer on the moshav where they lived. There would be events and gatherings all the time that were very food-orientated with lots of music.”
As well as the musical events and outdoor dining, the festival programme will include comedy nights and a residency by Giffords Circus, which combines comedy and clowns with acrobats, jugglers, horses, musicians and dancers.
Music — a huge part of the festival — is eclectic with artists from all genres including country band The Shires; LA-based jazz artist Laufey and an evening of blues from Ronny Scott’s regulars.
With no need to pack more than a handbag plus an extra layer — although they do have blankets; and the reassurance of proper toilets stocked with rolls of (sustainable) toilet paper, Home Farm seems the perfect venue to get that festival flavour — without the fear factor.
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