This year’s Sunderland Food and Drink Festival brought live entertainment, markets and international cuisine to the centre of Sunderland and delivered a £2.8million boost to the local economy.
The event – organised by Sunderland’s BIDs – took place around the city centre at the beginning of June with 70,000 people joining in over the weekend, leading to the multi-million-pound impact with a huge increase on last year’s 50,000 attendees.
Visitors were able to enjoy live entertainment across High Street West and Keel Square, with a packed programme of music alongside food from around the globe at dozens of stalls.
For the first time, the former Argos site was used, hosting a range of traders and a community stage. Local businesses also saw a huge benefit, with crowds of customers visiting bars, cafés and restaurants.
Zafer Saygilier, owner of Flower Café at High Street West, said: “We are so delighted to be in Sunderland and to be part of all of the exciting things going on here. We had increased footfall and were really busy throughout the Food and Drink Festival, and it was absolutely fantastic to see the city centre buzzing and full of people.”
Roberta Redecke, head of business services at Sunderland’s BIDs – which include the City Centre BID and the Seafront BID – said: “The Sunderland Food and Drink Festival continues to grow year on year and we were busy from the minute the event began. The atmosphere across the city was fantastic and it was amazing to see so many people attending, sitting in and around the cafés and bars in Keel Square enjoying the music, and visiting all the stalls on High Street West and the former Argos site.
“The stallholders have reported that they did amazing trade throughout the weekend, as did all of the established businesses. It has become an important event not just on the city’s calendar but for the North East with visitors coming from across the region to attend.”
Steve Walker, managing director of Stagecoach North East, said: “We’re proud to support events such as the Sunderland Food and Drink Festival, which showcase everything that is great about the city and bring significant benefits to local businesses and the wider economy. It was fantastic to see the city buzzing with activity, and we look forward to continuing to support events that bring communities together and help Sunderland thrive.”
