The well-fed pescatarian loves festival food

The music may be the headline act of this summer's festivals, but the food also deserves an honourable mention. After all, it's the army of food trucks that keeps us going through the muddy times and the late night munchies, filling our festival experiences with flavour.

Anyone who has read my bucket list will know that going to Glastonbury has been high on it for a long time and this year it was finally achieved. One of the (many) fantastic things about the mother of all British festivals is the variety of food on offer.

Here is a selection of the well-fed pescatarian's top eats from Glasto. Look out for these fab vendors at other festivals throughout the summer. ¡Buen provecho!

Burritos

Burritos are a great festival food for pescatarians, because they are so tasty, really fill you up and aren't too hard to eat if there's nowhere to sit down. For me, it's all about the extras - the guacamole, sour cream, cheese and jalapenos - which really make it a fab festival meal. You can even wrap 'em up and throw them in your bag if you're planning on camping out at a stage for the duration.

There were several Jumping Bean Burrito stalls at Glastonbury, including one up at the GlastoLatino stage, which seemed appropriate. The nachos were a great pick-me-up after a bit of salsa dancing on the Thursday night too.

Crepes and galettes

You can't beat a crepe at a festival, or even a galette, as apparently that's what savoury crepes are called. It's easy to sate most of your hunger cravings in this way, as the selection of fillings on offer is immense. Over the course of the festival I indulged in both sweet and savoury options, with a sundried tomato, mozzarella and fresh basil galette going down very well. I returned to the extremely friendly girls at Happy Crepes for a white chocolate, fresh strawberry and pistachio crepe later in the festival.

Potted crayfish on toast

Probably the best thing I ate at Glastonbury was the potted crayfish on toast, which certainly saw to my seafood needs. Not only is the food served up by Crayfish Bob absolutely delicious, but it is doing a very important job for the environment here in the UK.

The American Signal crayfish was introduced to British waterways with the idea that they could be exported to the Scandinavian market. Instead, it has become a pest and is responsible for wiping out many native species. It is these American crayfish that are used in Bob's creations, helping to rid our rivers of them. It's a win-win situation for the hungry pescatarian and the environment!

Loaded wedges

The prize for the best value food at Glastonbury has to go to the wedges, as these bowls of seasoned and fried potatoes loaded with all sorts of tasty toppings were not only cheap, but plentiful and filling. A nice spicy bean concoction on top really did the trick, although cheesy wedges or an accompaniment of dips are also quite tempting.

Indian wraps

On any day of the year I would pick Indian food over any other cuisine and at festivals it's no different. I've had plenty of delicious curries from various outlets over the years, with the Patak's bus being a particular highlight, and more pakoras and samosas than you can shake a festival flag at. Having been following each other on Twitter for years, however, it was time to seek out the Chapati Man and I certainly wasn't disappointed.

Located over by the Left Field at Glasto, the Chapati Man managed to cram all of the delicious flavours of India into a tasty tasty flatbread. For the well-fed pescatarian that meant chana aloo - chickpeas and potatoes cooked in a wonderful spice mix and accompanied by raita and salad - yum!

Thai food

Those who ventured across the lake that was the West Holts arena at Glastonbury were not just rewarded with some fantastic world music acts, but also delicious food. Nothing warms you up on a soggy festival evening like a steaming plate of noodles and vegetables, which is exactly what we got from Good Thai Dins.

Liquorice

Pops and I, who have festivaled together for many years, swear by liquorice as the perfect pick-me-up between acts. Having sampled a few different vendors, we particularly like Saint Valentines, which we got a taste for at Latitude in 2014, then enjoyed at WOMAD 2015 and continued the love affair at Glastonbury this year.

Importing liquorice from all over, there's every shape, flavour and style of soft liquorice you can imagine. Producing a few sticks for Pops, which I'd clandestinely bought in advance, during our night shift stewarding for Oxfam certainly cheered him up. Look out for the Saint Valentines stalls or handy little carts at the next festival you attend.

Oxfam stewarding is a great way to do a festival

All quiet at the end of the night shift at Fire Tower Echo

When an earthquake shook Nepal just weeks after my parents returned from visiting the country, the importance of international charities really struck home. Many people they had met were affected by the situation and many will not see their lives return to normal for a long time.

One way that charities, such as Oxfam, can raise money is by providing stewards for music festivals in the UK. They are given the equivalent of an hourly minimum wage for the work their volunteers do and these helpers get to experience a festival while doing good at the same time.

Pops and I are big music fans and festival veterans, so this year decided to offer our services up to Oxfam and volunteered for Womad. It turned out to be a great decision, leading us to meet some wonderful people and have a truly positive stewarding experience.

How do you get a picture of the Womad sign with nobody else around?

Do it at 7am after a night shift

Having never stewarded before and not attended Womad either, the whole thing was new to us, but we were welcomed into the stewarding fold and quickly felt at home. One of the nicest things about stewarding is that Oxfam has its own campsite and you are immediately surrounded by friendly faces. Not only this, but there is a marquee where you can sit and chat to fellow volunteers, showers and onsite catering, which was provided at Womad by Nuts.

The Oxfam campsite has a very special atmosphere

We were all told in advance to bring our own crockery and cutlery, as disposable items such as these would not be provided. Nuts piled up our plates with huge mounds of delicious food at much cheaper prices than those that could be found in the arena. Each steward is given a food voucher for every shift they do, which also helps to keep the workforce going, with hearty falafels and masses of salads for me and steak and chips for Pops.

Seeing the sun come up at the end of our night shift

Stewarding a festival is not the same as simply attending one as a punter and eight-hour shifts should not be entered into lightly. The benefits of experiencing a festival in this manner far outweigh the hard work, however, with some small and large perks coming as part of the bargain. It is really nice for example, to be able to explore the site before the customers arrive; to recognise the faces of the people you wristbanded in the rain, now that the sun is shining; and to make lots of friends with fellow volunteers.

In return for working the festival, Oxfam stewards get to see some of the acts, without having to buy a ticket. Not knowing what shifts we would be given in advance, we didn't manage to see Count Drachma or Aurelio, but we did get to see the likes of Souad Massi and a Kathkali performance. You certainly can't grumble about that.

Kathkali performers from Kerala in The Big Red Tent

The weather at this year's Womad has seen it dubbed by many as Womud, but luckily Pops and I were prepared. We spent a very soggy eight-hour day shift wristbanding people in the rain, as we were decked out in wellies, overtrousers and waterproof coats. No matter whatever the weather, Oxfam stewards soldier on and we all got through it together. A sign went up in the Oxfam marquee saying that anyone flooded out of their tents could sleep in there, although it appeared nobody needed to make use of the invitation.

It is also almost impossible not to remain vigilant while not on shift and help the public even when not wearing your Oxfam tabbard. Not only did Pops and I help when we spotted someone who had fallen in the mud, but I gave directions to people who were lost and generally got involved at every opportunity.

On leaving Womad, we said goodbye to the friends we had made in the Oxfam campsite and started to head off towards the car. One of the main organisers of stewards at Womad thanked us for our help, which echoed an attitude that was felt throughout the whole festival, with those in charge being very communicable and appreciative of the time people had donated.

Make a difference - steward for Oxfam

There were 400 Oxfam stewards at this year's Womad festival, making some £70,000 for the charity. During the summer festival season in the UK, Oxfam makes more than £1 million through stewarding. This is a huge amount for just three shifts per person. To find out more, visit the Oxfam stewarding website.