Thousands flock to return of Dorset Seafood Festival in Weymouth

The popular festival, which was held at Weymouth Peninsula, brought together some of the country’s top chefs and seafood producers.

This was the second year in a row that the festival has been a ticketed event and has taken place on the peninsula, having taken place on the harbourside for free in the past.

It was confirmed on Friday that the food festival would go ahead after many events which were set to take place in the county this weekend, including the Tour of Britain, were cancelled following the death of the Queen on Thursday.

In honour of Her Majesty, a two minutes silence was held on both days of the festival at 3pm.

The festival this year offered what is said to be the largest seafood menu in the country - with more than 60 seafood dishes.

Traders inside the seafood festival were busy as people eagerly awaited their seafood fix.

Entertainment included a free kid’s cookery school, live chef demos, wine tastings, beer pairings and live music.

A spokesman for the festival, Sophie Kermani, said: "It's been really good. From the moment the doors opened we have had people constantly streaming through.

"We have improved the layout this year. Last year we had issues where we had fewer food stands because people had to drop out last minute due to staffing issues at the time.

"The queues are not as bad this year because there are so many more food stalls and there is much more variety available."

On running the event following the Queen's death, she said: "It was a really hard decision to make. Ultimately it went ahead because we had a lot of stall holders who have prepared for this and bought tonnes of stock, a lot of which is perishable.

"We are trying to be as mindful as possible and want to celebrate her."

On the impact the festival has on the town, she added: "It's a huge boost for the town. A lot of accommodation was completely booked as soon as we announced the dates.

"It definitely showcases a lot of food and talent which is available in restaurants nearby."

Stef Chaloner helps to run family business Dorset Shellfish which had a busy stall selling a range of different seafood dishes at the event.

Manager at Dorset Shellfish Stef Chaloner (left) with her mother Caroline Drever (right). Picture: Marie-Claire Alfonso (Image: Newsquest)

She said: "It's really great to see a lot of local people come out and support local business. It's fantastic."

Ms Chaloner said her stall had been doing very well with all of their lobster selling out by 1pm on the Saturday.

She added: "Events like this are great for businesses like ours. We are Weymouth born and bred and have fishing boats in Weymouth - it's great to see something which encourages people to enjoy seafood that's from here."