The Dorset Seafood Festival 2011 (9th & 10th July) is set to become the largest seafood festival in the UK with the support of a raft of high profile sponsors, a brigade of celebrity chefs and a dramatic increase in stallholders. Champagne Pommery will once again take the position of title sponsor with Condor Ferries as a leading sponsor. Other high profile sponsors include Ringwood Brewery, LloydsTSB, Wines of Chile, Weird Fish, Coast Seafood, Event Insurance Services, Fish Face, Seafish South West and Commercial Recycling. Confirmed media partners are the Dorset Echo, Dorset Magazine and Resort Magazine. South West Trains will also be providing discounted travel for small groups travelling to the event. The Dorset Seafood Festival is one of the highlights in Dorset’s social calendar, attracting 50,000 visitors in 2010 and is set in Weymouth’s beautiful, historical old working harbour.
This year’s event will see some new faces in the celebrity chef line up including; Lesley Waters, Ed Baines, Shaun Rankin, Richard Bertinet, Sila Bjerrum, Alex Aitkin and James Weare.They will join seasoned Dorset Seafood Festival chefs – Mat Follas, John Wright and GilesThompson. Mark Hix will also be judging the 2011 Young Dorset Seafood Masterchef competition on Sunday 10th July. The chef demonstrations will take place across two stages, against the backdrop of over 70 stalls, many selling a range of seafood dishes with a keen focus on sustainable fishing.
The Weird Fish Cross Harbour Swim will mark the start of the festival on Saturday 9th, 10.30am and the Olympic Inspire Mark Moving Tides procession will deliver a dramatic finale to the first day. Taking place at 5pm and winding its way through the festival stalls this fantastic, inventive and joyous procession is made and presented by children and young people around the theme of “Spirit of The Sea”.
Special train fares are available to those planning to visit the event from further afield with up 50% saving with South West Trains GroupSave discount. When three or four people travel together off-peak only two pay and four accompanying children can also be added for just £1.00 each! Tickets can be bought at southwesttrains.co.uk, the nearest station or call 0845 6000 650.
Commenting on the overall success and growth of the festival, Brian Cooper, committe member says, “The festival is the fastest growing UK seafood festival and the 2011 sponsors clearly recognise its importance in the UK food show calendar. The event was born out of a desire to celebrate the sea and all its bounty in the beautiful Waterfront Weymouth harbour location. We never imagined that it would grow to this size and scale. The team members behind the event are all experts in their field which along with secured sponsors makes the event a joy to deliver!”
