Thousands of foodies descended on Sefton Park over the weekend to enjoy the fourth annual Liverpool Food and Drink Festival.
More than 100 bars, restaurants and producers took part in the event, which was extended to two days this year, to give visitors the chance to try an array of local food and drink and also from across the globe.
There was also an opportunity to see demonstrations from a line up of top celebrity chefs, including John Torode and Simon Rimmer, as well as a chance to meet and greet Michelin star chef Marco Pierre White, who said he was “flattered” to be asked back to the event for his second visit.
Event director Denise Harris said she had been “absolutely delighted” by the success of the weekend’s festival events. She said: “We were so pleased to be able to extend the festival to two days. The feedback we have received has been overwhelming, and we’re so proud we have been able to hit another level for the Liverpool Food and Drink Festival.”
Visitors were also welcomed by a whole host of new areas, including a taste of Ireland experience, a dedicated music zone, live food art displays, a vintage wine area featuring a variety of sommelier masterclasses, numerous sampling stations from top UK brands and an impressive local culinary talent area, as well as a range of entertainment in the form of dancers, stilt walkers, performers and even a Chinese Dragon.
Simon Rimmer, who performed a series of demonstrations throughout Saturday, said: “My first Liverpool Food and Drink Festival has been fantastic. To feel the love that I have felt today has been outstanding. “It’s interesting to see how much of a food and drink hot spot the city has become. You just have to take a look around this park to see how much variety there is. There is an incredibly high standard of restaurants and bars, family bakers, cheese producers, lovely delis and also a lot of people that are really passionate about good food; Liverpool is rapidly becoming a massive foodie destination.”
By Sunday afternoon, with the fine weather helping encourage even more visitors out to the park, there were queues of people still trying to get in for the last couple of hours.
Celebrity chef John Torode, who attended the festival on Sunday, described the event as “amazing”. He said: “It’s my first visit to the city and I’m really impressed, really into it. The park smells good, looks good and this is a great event for Liverpool. I love it – everyone has got a big smile on their face and we have had a great time.”