Visitors poured into Hastings for the Town's first Seafood and Wine Festival in September. Stallholders said that it was the best event of its type they had ever attended. Business was brisk and some were up half the night preparing more food for the second day!
The event was organised by a small team at Hastings Borough Council and local stakeholders. 90% of the funding for the event was provided by the Local Enterprise Growth Initiative, Tourism South East and the Area Investment Framework. The rest was provided by the Council.
The event celebrated the heritage of Hastings' fishing fleet and its success in attaining Marine Stewardship Council certification for sustainability. This is a prestigious award given to the fleet in recognition of the eco-friendly way it catches fish.
As a complement to our wonderful local seafood, it seemed right to include our local wine industries. Whilst planning the festival a surprising fact was revealed. Our local countryside has 18 vineyards! Several came to offer wine-tastings or have a stall. Other stallholders included fishmongers, restaurants and local producers all trading within 25 miles of Hastings. The event helped focus people's minds on what is produced locally.
One of the aims of the event was to extend the holiday season and entice longer staying, higher spending visitors to the town. This appears to have worked. Research showed that the hotels were full and it is estimated that up to 50%-80% of the festival visitors were from out of town. Some travelled especially to the festival from as far as Worcester and Peterborough. The festival offered an opportunity for everyone to get to know more about different food styles and healthy eating. It even identified opportunities for training to improve the health of Hastings' people.
The resounding voice from the stallholders and visitors seems to be "Thank you", "Keep it up" and "What are the dates for next year?"
Well, we can answer that already - the next festival will be on 22 - 23 September 2007.
For more details about the event, please telephone 01424 451759.
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This page last updated: 07/02/2007