RESTAURATEURS in Weymouth and Portland are chomping at the bit to take part in the borough’s newest food festival.

Feast Weymouth, backed by the Echo and funded by Weymouth Business Improvement District (BID), is a six-week food bonanza involving a large number of restaurants in the area, starting on October 1.

As excitement grows for the inaugural event, the menus from each of the participating venues will go online today and can be found at dorsetecho.co.uk Organisers are hoping the new event will help draw in customers to the borough in what is traditionally a quiet part of the year for local businesses and as well as restaurants, local hotels and taxi firms have also signed up to the event to offer discount prices on rooms and fares into the town centre.

Alistair Clarke, pictured inset, joint chairman of Weymouth BID, said: “I am delighted to see so many restaurants and pubs taking part in the event with a real feel of community spirit.

“The menus have been coming in thick and fast and they not only sound delicious but represent really great value. We hope to see lots more people dining out through October and November this year.”

The Feast Weymouth promotion will work with each participating venue providing a set menu or offer within the price ranges of £5, £10, £15, £20 or £25 for customers to dine at their establishment throughout the month of October and until the November 15.

All BID levy payers will be able to participate free of charge, and non-BID levy payers will also be able to take part for a small fee.

Ali Ghamarian, manager of Sense restaurant, said: “We are really looking forward to taking part. We have had a great summer this year and of course December is always busy with Christmas parties, but certainly October and November are always quieter in Weymouth. We look forward to building this event up and making it really big.”

Rob Cole, from The Esplanade hotel, added: “I think it’s a fantastic event, there’s something for everyone.

“It gives local people an opportunity to use restaurants that they might not normally go to and from a business perspective it gives me an opportunity to offer to my incoming guests both a great deal on a seafront hotel room and an amazing choice of places to go for dinner.”