shop eat play | live
Worcester Foodie Fortnight, a new campaign aimed at boosting the eating establishments in Worcester city centre is now in full swing.
The campaign is built around the Worcester Foodie Festival, which attracted thousands of visitors to the city centre last weekend.
Celebrity chefs Jean-Christophe Novelli and Felice Tocchini have proven to be the stars of the show with their free cookery demos at the main stage in High Street, sharing techniques for healthier cooking using less salt, sugar and saturated fats in their recipes.
Practical sessions such as the free kids food lab, knife skills classes for adults and food and drink matching masterclasses have been another great draw for visitors from near and far.
There was something for everyone’s taste with a great choice of delicious treats available from more than 70 stalls – from locally made cheeses and honeys, fruit liqueurs and wines to gourmet burgers, spicy curries and sweet delights including churros.
Worcester BID Marketing and Events Manager, Nadja von Dahlen, said “We are delighted to see the successful expansion of the 2nd Worcester Foodie Festival with more stalls, entertainment and activities. The great participation of local businesses that are in the city all year around gave this event a different spin, as it truly showcased Worcester’s fantastic food and drink offer and literally put it on the plate. Our visitors really enjoyed the quality sampling opportunities and our businesses are looking forward to welcoming back new and existing customers during the Foodie Fortnight.”
Footfall on Saturday was up 52% on the previous Saturday and 30% up on the 2014 Foodie Festival Saturday. On Sunday the event led to an even bigger increase in footfall with a 91% increase on the previous Sunday and 9% up on the 2014 Foodie Festival Sunday.
Worcester Business Improvement District (BID) added that “This significant increase in footfall is good for the city’s economy, as it is bringing in additional people not only from Worcester, but also further afield, who enjoy exploring the city and its wider retail and leisure offer.”
Until the end of this week, residents and visitors can take advantage of mouth-watering offers at local cafés, restaurants, pubs and other food and drink related businesses as part of the Worcester Foodie Fortnight campaign – from breakfast and lunch club deals to special £5 and £10 menus. Activities, live music, competitions and a food and drink trail are another great way for people to try places and food that they haven’t experienced before.
For further information visit www.worcesterbid.com/foodie and follow @WorcFoodieFest on twitter or www.facebook.com/WorcesterFoodie. Programmes can also be collected in many of the city centre’s businesses.
