Oxfordshire Music Festival Closes Food Stall After Mass Food Poisoning Outbreak

Dozens of attendees at Oxfordshire's largest music festival fell ill after consuming food from a vendor over the weekend, prompting immediate closure of the stall and launching an official investigation by environmental health authorities. The incident affected multiple festival-goers at Truck Festival, held at Hill Farm in Steventon, which drew a record crowd of 27,500 people.

What Happened

On Sunday morning, Truck Festival's on-site medical team received reports from multiple attendees displaying similar symptoms of illness. The festival's health and safety team initiated an investigation and identified a third-party food vendor operating under the name Yorky Roast as the suspected source. The stall, which served Yorkshire pudding wraps and related meals, was removed from operation within 90 minutes of the first report being made.

Social media posts documented the experiences of affected festival-goers. Several attendees reported severe symptoms that forced them to leave the event early, missing performances by headlining bands including The Maccabees, Two Door Cinema Club, and The Wombats. One attendee described it as "the worst food poisoning of my life," while another said the incident turned "Sunday into a complete write-off."

Investigation and Response

Truck Festival reported the incident to Vale of White Horse District Council's environmental health team on the same day. The council confirmed awareness of a "potential food poisoning outbreak" and launched a formal investigation. The food vendor, operated by Event Mobile Catering Limited based in Cardiff, is being examined by environmental health officials in coordination with UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the vendor's local registering authority.

Festival organisers issued a statement acknowledging the situation: "We share the disappointment and frustration of those whose weekend was affected." The rapid response and transparency from festival management drew mixed reactions, with some attendees praising Truck's handling while others called for stricter oversight of food vendors at major events. One anonymous attendee referenced a similar incident at Download Festival where a comparable food stall allegedly sickened around 500 people.