Sunderland Food and Drink Festival, which took place June 7-9, brought a tasty boost to the city with more than 30,000 visitors attending – double the figure from 2023.
The festival saw thousands of people enjoy live entertainment and food stalls offer-ing cuisines from across the world. High Street West, Keel Square and Market Square were packed across the three days – and local venues and stall holders were delighted with the response.
Ollie Vaulkhard, who owns The Keel Tavern at Keel Square, said: “The Food and Drink Festival was a great success for us. The Saturday was particularly busy. It’s wonderful being in a square where there is energy and genuine ambition from the city to deliver events. It’s definitely one we hope will continue to be an annual thing and hope that all the traders found it profitable and fun.”
Sharon Appleby – chief executive of Sunderland BID, which organises the festival – added: “Last year, we were absolutely thrilled with the amount of people who at-tended the festival, so to double that number this time round is phenomenal. The positive response we’ve had from everyone has been overwhelming and we know now that this is an event which people really look forward to. It’s not just good for the stall holders and exhibitors, it also provides a massive boost to the local economy and particularly our fast-growing food and drink scene.”
