End of The Road: Hidden Gems from the Experts

Amongst the incredible musical offerings End of The Road puts together every year, there are a plethora of wonders hidden in forests, tucked inside food vans and waiting around every corner. This year, as we make our way around the buzzing site at Larmer Tree Gardens, we let the experts and long-time festival goers tell you what’s what.

Charlie Ivens, who runs the Where is My Mind Music Quiz at the Piano Stage, 3pm Sunday, recommends The Goan Seafood Company.

“Of all the non-music flavours End of The Road plates up, the ever-exemplary food on offer provides the spice to energise even the most uke-jaded festivaller. But you can keep your hearty pies and cross-legged pizza, and your *drool* veggie enchiladas and *groaaan* Valencian paella – if there’s one stall at which we’d gladly eat every damn meal, it’s The Goan Seafood Company. Kedgeree (spiced rice with hot smoked salmon) for breakfast to kick your tastebuds into action, then vegan-friendly Masala Dhal (tomatoey, garlicky, gingery lentils) mid-afternoon, and finally a richly flavoured, kick-ass Goan Fish Curry after sunset. Every day. Forever. Goa long…”

Matilda Temperley, who runs the famous Somerset Cider Bus (located next to the Tipi Stage), recommends…

“At the cider bus we always make two pilgrimages at the End of the Road. One is to the woods just as the day is failing to admire all the sparkling lights, they’ve been a highlight every year. The other is on a Sunday when we abandon someone at the bus and go play scrabble in the games area. Mostly though, our favourite spot is late at night at the Cider Bus when the dancing gets started.” They do play mighty great tunes after the sun goes down.”

Anthony Chalmers from Robot Elephant Records recommends…

“There is so many different things to love at EOTR outside of the music lineup but the little piano “stage” in the forest is a particular favourite of mine. It’s a tiny stage with a piano with some seating in a clearing in the forest. Anyone can play there with the expecting wildly varying standards or you can catch festival acts doing secret sets there. T Model Ford a couple of years ago was a particular stand out.”

Seb Emina, the festival’s press person and author of The Breakfast Bible (published by Bloomsbury), recommends…

“I love the food at the festival and get very excited planning what I’ll eat when. If I have the lamb and goats’ cheese borek on Friday, surely I am allowed to have it again on Sunday? That kind of thing. I have huge amounts of respect for the cafe in the healing area who often make their own croissants on site. In a regular kitchen it is a weepingly difficult thing to do, let alone in a tent in a Victorian leisure garden.”

Sarah Bennetto, an Australian born comic who runs all things Comedy at the festival, recommends…

“Peachicks … I love the baby peachicks. There was a moment last year when First Aid kit came off stage in these floaty, blue vintage dresses, the wind whipping their hair. They looked like Disney princesses. Then they knelt down to play with these little baby peacocks that walked past and it was just like something out of a Disney film.”

Lynn Roberts from For Folk Sake recommends…

“If you can find a moment to peel yourself away from the near-perfect line ups on the four main stages, there’s yet more music to be found. The piano in the woods – contained within a wallpapered box decked out like your granny’s living room – is the setting for some magical secret shows. Past years have seen The Leisure Society jostle around the piano, an a capella Okkervil River play some early hits, and Patti Smith read from her autobiography Just Kids.”