Adventure
Wing Fest London 2026
There are food festivals, and then there’s Wing Fest London. Now in its twelfth year, this has grown into what is arguably the world’s biggest and best celebration of the humble chicken wing. You might think that sounds slightly over the top, but spend an afternoon here, and you’ll quickly realise these aren’t just chicken wings – they’re culinary masterpieces.
Discover Wing Fest London 2026, gourmet chicken wings, spicy challenges, top traders and Phil Vickery-inspired recipes.
It’s so grand that the London event takes place at the iconic Olympic Stadium, where 50 traders welcome over 35,000 hungry wing enthusiasts. The rules are straightforward: sell two versions of wings, with a special for the judges to sample. Yes, there are winners here! All wings are priced at just £1.50 each, keeping the competition level and fair — no undercutting.
Heat, Humour and Some Extraordinary Cooking
The festival is packed with excitement, including a contest to see who can devour 10 Buffalo wings the fastest — Nelson took less than 2 minutes! He then tackled the lava challenge, eating the same wings smothered in a sauce over 15 million units on the Scoville scale—a blistering heat. I tried two wings at around 250,000 units and could only manage two bites before giving up. On the way home, I definitely didn’t feel well, but it was all part of the fun.
Chatting with the founder, Richard Thacker, a true wing fanatic and son of a chicken farmer, I learned how it all started. Traders lined up to showcase their skills, and the innovation was truly inspiring. I sampled some incredible creations, like Sal from Peck Peck’s ‘Guvnor’—a chicken wing inspired by fish and chips, lightly battered and topped with a mushy pea emulsion, tartare sauce (deconstructed), shoestring fries, and finished with salt and vinegar. Absolutely superb!
Then there’s Kiki, a former champion from Birmingham. Bruce whipped up a Hainan-style wing using duck fat, ginger, spring onion, pickled cucumber, and crispy chicken skin. Another standout was a charred spring onion version with brown butter, white miso, pickled shallots, and garlic seaweed crumb. Both were packed with refined, thoughtful flavours.
"Wing Fest proves simple food becomes extraordinary through passion, flavour and imagination together.”
Wings That Rewrite the Rulebook
Finally, Ginger Wings, owned by my friend Jack Blumenthal, wowed the crowd with a Buffalo wing bordelaise featuring hickory-smoked bone marrow, beurre noisette ranch, pickled shallots and celery, finished with Roquefort and tarragon dusting. He also presented a sweet and sour XO jam, danmuji radish, burnt spring onion and lime mayo, char siu, and crispy garlic furikake—a Japanese seasoning with seaweed, sugar, toasted sesame seeds, and dried bonito. Honestly, it was all spot-on, phenomenal cooking.
When I asked Jack how much he’d serve over the three days, he estimated around 600 kilos! By now, the place is buzzing—after a quick axe-throwing session, sampling some fiery wings, and sinking a cold beer, it was time to head home.
I can’t wait to come back next year — maybe even as a judge. Now, wouldn’t that be something?
Inspired Recipes
Some recipes inspired by Wing Fest 2026
Crispy Korean Gochujang Wings
Sweet, spicy and beautifully crisp with bold Korean flavours that keep everyone reaching for more.
View RecipePhil's Sticky Bourbon BBQ Wings
Sticky, smoky and gloriously messy, these irresistible wings disappear almost faster than you can cook them.
View RecipeGrilled Jerk Chicken with Lime Butter
Punchy, aromatic, and deeply satisfying—this is Caribbean cooking at its best.
View Recipe