Forknight returns: Over 50 offers to tempt you out
Ipswich town centre's two-week food festival is back for 2026, with more than 50 deals running across pubs, restaurants and cafés until Sunday, 31 May. From £3.60 tacos to £45 steak dinners for two, here is what is on the menu this Forknight.
Coordinated by Ipswich Central, the town's Business Improvement District, Forknight has grown again this year — with more participating venues and more offers than the 2025 edition. The promotion runs across the full second half of May and is pitched as an invitation for residents and visitors alike to try somewhere new, or rediscover somewhere familiar, at a price designed to take the edge off the decision.
The pitch is simple enough. For a fortnight, the town's eateries put their best dishes front and centre at reduced prices, and diners are nudged out of their usual habits — towards a cuisine they have never tried, a venue they have always walked past, or a midweek lunch they would otherwise have eaten at their desk.
A fortnight at a glance
The headline numbers are straightforward. More than 50 offers. Just over two weeks. One town centre. The vast majority of deals run for the full Forknight window from 15 to 31 May, with a small number of date-specific specials — notably a one-day promotion at Chefs' Whites on Friday 22 May, offering three courses for £15 or two courses for £12.50.
Beyond that, Forknight 2026 spans almost every meal occasion and price point a diner might be looking for: a £6 cake and drink at Harvest Moon at one end, two-person sharing menus pushing past £50 at the other, and dozens of mid-range options sitting comfortably in between.
Eating around the world without leaving town
One of the festival's defining features is the spread of cuisines on offer.
An Indian at Malabar Delights, where a starter, curry, rice and drink come in at £15; Greek at The Greek Stomach, with a free drink alongside gyros and chips for £7.50; Turkish at Kervan Kitchen, which is running 20 per cent off Adana kofte, chicken beyti and chicken wings; and Caribbean at Hardball Smokehouse, where oxtail, rice and peas is £10.
Spanish small plates feature twice on the list. The Moloko is offering two tapas dishes for £12 or three for £18, while Marinero Lounge is running three tapas dishes with a drink for £13.95, plus a free drink or pudding on Mondays.
The Forge Kitchen has two tacos for £3.60 — one of the cheapest deals of the fortnight — and Bon Bon is serving Tex Mex filled tortillas or nachos for £10 each. Italian is well represented too, with Pizza Express running bottomless beer or prosecco at £20 per person, Moto Pizza offering all-you-can-eat lunch for £10 and an evening version with a drink for £20, and Mylo's pizzas at The Thomas Wolsey coming with free tater tots.
Asian cuisine is covered by Mu Lan Kitchen, which has a main, side and drink combination for £8.95, and Wagamama, with lunch and a drink for £14.
Deals for every budget
For diners eating on a tighter budget, the Forge Kitchen's £3.60 tacos and £4.50 wings Wednesday lead the way. Harvest Moon's £6 cake and drink, and The Hold's £6.50 panini, drink and crisps follow close behind, while The Greek Stomach's £7.50 gyros and chips and Mu Lan Kitchen's £8.95 combo round out the under-£10 category.
The £10 mark is where the fortnight is busiest. Pickwicks has a breakfast special at that price, Love Thy Burger has burger and chips, Hardball Smokehouse has its oxtail offer, Honey + Harvey has smashed avocado on toast, Bon Bon has both its Tex Mex tortilla and nachos, Hanks Vegan Restaurant has tofish and chips as well as a sandwich, fries and hot drink combo, Harvest Moon has a breakfast burrito and drink, The Hidden Garden has cake and a cuppa for two, the New Wolsey Theatre has a ploughman's platter, and The Greyhound is running a £10 Forknight special lunch.
At the other end of the scale, sharing menus and date-night options anchor the higher price points. The Last Anchor is running steak, chips and wine for two at £45, while Three Wise Monkeys has a "Mega Monkey" combo for two at £55. The Lord Nelson has two roast dinners for £32, Bistro on the Quay is serving a seafood skewer for £24, and The Greyhound has tiered meal specials at £15, £20 or £25, letting diners pick their own price point.
Breakfast, brunch and family-friendly options
Forknight is not just an evening affair. Several venues are leaning into breakfast and brunch, with The Woolpack offering both a full English at £12 and a vegetarian version at £11, Pickwicks running its £10 breakfast special, Honey + Harvey on smashed avocado on toast at £10, and Harvest Moon doing a breakfast burrito and drink for the same price.
Families are catered for, too. The Last Anchor's "Little Anchors Eat Free" deal, Five Guys' £7.50 kids' meal and The Plough's £15 Sunday roast with unlimited sides all provide great options for the school holidays.
Vegan, vegetarian and lighter bites
Plant-based diners have more to choose from than in years past. Hanks Vegan Restaurant has two dedicated offers — tofish and chips for £10, and a sandwich, fries and hot drink combo at the same price. Harvest Moon's breakfast burrito and cake-and-drink offers are both vegan-friendly, and The Woolpack's vegetarian breakfast at £11 gives meat-free diners a town centre pub option.
For those after something lighter, The Arbor House has a sandwich and selected drinks for £14, The Crafty Fox Cafe Bar has a toasted sandwich and drink for £15, and Bread Bowl has a bread bowl and soft drink combination at £14.50.
A mix of independents and chains
The participating venues span the full spectrum of Ipswich's hospitality scene. Long-standing independents such as The Lord Nelson, The Greyhound and Salthouse Harbour Hotel sit alongside national brands including Pizza Express, Wagamama and Five Guys.
Ipswich's food scene has quietly become one of the most varied in the region, and Forknight is the moment it pulls together to show what it can do. From family-run kitchens turning out food from half a dozen continents, to long-loved pubs, restaurants and cafés — it is all on the menu, and all within walking distance.
The bottom line
This is a fortnight to put your phone down, pull a chair out and eat. Take a colleague to lunch. Drag a friend to that restaurant you have been meaning to try for months. Book the family somewhere new, or settle into an old favourite and order the thing you would not normally pick. Ipswich's eateries have laid on more than 50 reasons to come and find them — and for two weeks, the only thing left to do is turn up hungry.
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