The organisers of Burnham-On-Sea’s Food and Drink Festival were celebrating this week after the event won second place in a nationwide competition to find the best harvest celebrations.
The ‘Bring Home the Harvest’ contest was a nationwide search by The Daily Telegraph and Love British Food to find the most innovative, all-inclusive and inspiring celebrations.
The competition was judged by the chef Raymond Blanc, environment secretary Owen Paterson, Love British Food founder Alexia Robinson, broadcaster and Telegraph columnist Alan Titchmarsh, Philip Clarke, chief executive of Tesco, and Telegraph ‘Life’ editor Anne Cuthbertson.
Anne Cuthberston said: “Burnham-On-Sea’s Food and Drink festival was a popular runner up. The event saw more than 5,000 people throng the town centre to enjoy local produce and a chilli-eating competition, which judge Raymond Blanc loved.”
Alan Titchmarsh said: “The impact on the community must have been enormous, they must have really got local enthusiasm and passion going.”
Festival founders and directors Beverley and Sarah Milner Simonds told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “To get recognition at a national level for a festival that has just celebrated its first birthday is amazing. We pour our hearts into the festival and the feedback from visitors and stall holders has been very positive.”
“We want to host a festival that people love coming to and that helps them connect with the brilliant produce available in Somerset. That the judges recognised the variety of elements in the festival; stalls, competitions, demos, workshops and accessibility through location and free entry is great.”
Meanwhile, the festival organisers have announced that there will be two festivals in 2014 on Saturday 24th May and 25th October. Booking for traders is now open. Local businesses who would like to get involved in the festivals through a collaboration or sponsorship can get in touch via the festival website.
