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THE EMSWORTH FOOD FESTIVAL

Since its inception in 2001 The Emsworth Food Festival has grown to become the largest event of its type in the UK. In 2006 there were 55,000 visitors and 130 exhibitors of quality food and food related products.

Held each year over a weekend in September the normally quiet village of Emsworth is transformed into a foodie’s paradise. Visitors can also enjoy special Food festival menus in Emsworth’s many pubs and restaurants, cookery demonstrations, wine and beer tastings and three days of free street entertainment.

The Festival is a community event organised and run entirely by volunteers. Any surplus funds generated by the event are donated to community projects in Emsworth.

In 2007 The festival will take place on 14th, 15th & 16th September.

Seventh Emsworth Food Festival September 2007

After the success of the 2006 Festival with 55,000 plus visitors, continuous sunshine and the re-launching of the oyster boat, “The Terror, the organising committee are already busy on 2007. The dates have been set and the seventh Emsworth Food festival will be held over the third weekend of September, September 14th, 15th & 16th 2007. As in previous years it is planned to make the Festival a community event with the full participation of local schools, Emsworth Businesses and local Community Organisations. Organised and run entirely by unpaid volunteers the Festival is now the largest Independent event of its type in the UK. The 2006 Festival will have cost over £60,000 to run which will be recouped from income from stall hire, tickets and programme sales. As a community Interest Company (registered in February 2006) Any surplus funds will be ploughed back into Emsworth Community organisations amongst which will be the long term upkeep of “The Terror”.

The success of the 2006 Festival is evidenced by the responses of visitors to a survey carried out for the first time this year - 81% of visitors thought that the Festival was thoroughly enjoyable and 83% intend to visit Emsworth at least once in the next year at a time other than the Food festival weekend.

The stalls were the most popular aspect of the festival (36%) and the crowds the least popular (15%). There are no plans to make the Festival any larger. It has already been decided that in 2007 there will be no more stalls than in 2006 and in particular more local producers will be encouraged to exhibit and it is hoped to spread exhibitors out more evenly to avoid congestion in the core of the village. Once again the Festival will be promoting quality food and food related products.

November 2006

• [Emsworth Food Festival]