Sunderland Food & Drink Festival hailed huge success after record numbers attend
Record numbers visited Sunderland’s most recent Food & Drink Festival.
The three day festival, held over June 6-8, saw a packed programme of markets, live entertainment and street food and drinks across Keel Square, High Street West and Market Square.
Now, organisers, Sunderland City Centre BID, has revealed that around 50,000 visitors attended across the weekend .
Along with the return of the global food markets, a number of new elements were added this time round which included an Afro Beats pop-up and the Eco Edit – a green living initiative.
The success of the festival comes on the back of recently released data that shows that food and drink is a key driver for people coming to Sunderland.
The festival proved a huge boost to local businesses, who also reported an increase in both takings and visitor numbers.
Samantha Johnson, owner of Lucky Cat Boba at High Street West, said the Food and Drink Festival has brought great benefits.
“We saw a lot more footfall than we normally would,” she said.
“It was about a 20 per cent increase in everything across the weekend, so it was a very positive experience for us.”
The Botanist in Keel Square also benefited from the festival, reporting visitors packing out the bar’s terrace.
“The live music was a smash hit and food from all the vendors really brought a sense of unity to Keel Square,” said Nathan Ramsay, assistant general manager at The Botanist.
Over the course of the festival, we made excellent use of our outdoor bar, which has been a lovely addition to our beautiful beer garden. This helped bring some unfamiliar guests through our doors, who might not have otherwise thought to pop in for a drink.
“It was wonderful that the square had been opened up with a seating area, also, as it meant more options to take in the attractions of the festival.”
Roberta Redecke, Marketing and Events Manager at Sunderland BID, said the Food and Drink Festival was going from strength to strength.
“The numbers of attendees are increasing year on year,” she said. “And this time round has been no exception, with a fantastic turnout despite the changeable weather.
“The traders were delighted with the response and the festival has also greatly benefited local businesses.”