Fat Harry’s Tops the Reading Festival Alfresco Awards 2022

A catering company serving smoked frankfurters and fresh watermelon has won the 2022 Gold Alfresco Award for food hygiene and best managed food outlet at this year’s Reading Festival.

Fat Harry’s, owned and managed by Chris and Alison Haritakis, (Cornucopia T/A Melon Heaven) were located in the main arena and won the accolade after scoring top marks in the Alfresco Award for outdoor caterers.

The company impressed the Council - which inspects all food outlets at Reading Festival trading to the public, providing them with a food hygiene rating for the duration of the festival. Fat Harry’s scored top marks in food hygiene and safety matters. The company wins a free pitch at next year’s Reading Festival. To achieve a maximum rating of 5 in the inspection and be eligible for the award, traders must pass strict criteria, including excellent standards of food hygiene, structure and management, provision of allergen information and demonstrate good health and safety compliance.

Festival Republic judges other criteria such as health and safety matters and environmental issues including; how staff travel to and from the festival, use of recyclables, if they use eco-friendly or biodegradable cleaning products, and how they recycle waste, these criteria are then combined with the food hygiene score to enable Festival Republic to determine the overall best performing traders.

This year’s Alfresco Silver Award went to Mexitaco owned by Aye Aung, as runners up, they are entitled to a 20% discount off their pitch for next year’s festival. Loaded Fries and Nachos also in the main arena, run by owner Steve Ryde was awarded Bronze status, which entitles them to 10% off the pitch fee at next year’s event.

The winners were presented with their certificates on Sunday afternoon by Reading Borough Council’s Executive Director for Economic Growth and Neighbourhood Services Frances Martin, Charlotte Prentice-Garner of Festival Republic and Kate Pennington of Central Fusion - the company contracted to supply food for the main arena and campsite and who subcontract to individual units.

Cllr Ruth McEwan, Lead Councillor for Education and Public Health, said: “Congratulations to Fat Harry’s, for a well-deserved award. It’s important that people who go to the festival know that the food they are buying on site is prepared in a safe and hygienic environment. The awards show that the quality of the catering on offer has continued to be maintained to an incredibly high standard. 

“I’d also like to congratulate the owners and staff at Mexitaco and Loaded Fries and Nachos, as well as thank the Reading food and safety team and their partners in Central Fusion and Festival Republic for all the hard work they have put into ensuring we maintain a high quality offer of food at this year’s festival.”