The team behind Burnham-On-Sea’s Food & Drink Festival are hoping to be celebrating some more this Wednesday after being shortlisted for The Prince of Wales Award at the Royal Bath and West Show.
The community award – which is run by the Royal Bath & West of England Society and the Duchy of Cornwall – is open to community organisations, schools, colleges and groups which have, through their own initiative, brought about improvements to the lives of the rural population in a sustainable manner.
The award is intended to embrace a wide range of schemes where there has been a genuine attempt to move forward in a resourceful and inventive way to the benefit of a rural community.
Festival co-organiser Sarah Milner Simonds said: “We were really surprised to have been shortlisted – the awards are open to all communities across Bristol, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire, Hampshire, Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire; which is a massive area, so to be picked out from such a big pool is a real honour.”
Co-organiser Beverley Milner Simonds added: “We have tried to build a festival that celebrates the great food and drink of Somerset and through initiatives like our bursary scheme, low pitch fees for local traders, free entry, demos, workshops and our shopping directory we try to help develop sustainable businesses.”
Burnham’s MP James Heappey welcomed the news, adding: “The Burnham Food & Drink Festival has become one of the highlights in the town’s calendar. Like so many seaside towns, Burnham has struggled to define itself as tourist tastes have changed and this wonderful festival has made huge strides in addressing that. It is widely supported within the town with attendances growing every time and it is clear that many hundreds more are travelling from further afield. The energy and commitment from the co-directors, Beverley and Sarah Milner-Simonds, is largely responsible for this runaway success and Burnham is truly fortunate to have their imagination, drive and passion for all things Somerset. The Burnham Food Festival showcases all that is wonderful about this charming seaside resort and the world class food and drink that is produced in our county.”
The pair find out if they have won on the first day of the Royal Bath & West Show, Wednesday 27th May. The show runs from 27-30 May.
