Southport Food and Drink Festival is back again for the third year, and takes place from Thursday, May 14 to Sunday, May 17. This foodie event in âEnglandâs classic resortâ is hugely successful and saw more than 30,000 visitors last year.
There will be a range of activities and attractions on offer throughout the four-day festival - from expert beer and wine tastings to chef demonstrations and family competitions. A large Celebrate Southport pavilion will be open to the public in the town hall gardens which will house local and regional chefs, stalls and a number of food related attractions.
There will also be a fantastic local producers market at the pavilion, with a fantastic array of regional food and drink producers, plus a large continental market will spread out along Lord Street, and a Festival Pimms Bar will be sited at the pavilion too. Restaurants throughout the town will all be involved throughout the weekend, with special offers and events.
Budding chefs from Southport College will be helping out in a series of demonstrations. Throughout the festival, chefs from restaurants across Southport will be demonstrating for the crowds and the students will gain invaluable experience from the professionals, as they help the chefs prepare and display their dishes. The students will also be trying their hand at vegetable decoration, sugar spinning and other culinary arts.
Councillor Lord Ronnie Fearn, Sefton Council Cabinet Member for Leisure and Tourism, said: "The Food and Drink Festival has certainly made its mark on the events calendar and has proved to be incredibly popular with residents and visitors alike.
"People are much more aware of where their food comes from and how it is produced now and this really shows in the interest shown by those visiting the food festival. This is not just an event for the hardcore food fans though as there will be a host of activities and promotions for everyone to take advantage of throughout the four days."
Trains run every hour from both Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Victoria and the journey takes just over an hour. Southport is a great place to go out for a day trip, with plenty of other attractions for visitors.
The festival is brought to you by Sefton Metropolitan Council and Taste of the North
West - the same team behind Manchesterâs Food and Drink Festival.
To find out more go to www.visitsouthport.com or call 01704 533333