The third Maryport Taste of the Sea festival, held in partnership with Maryport Town Council, boosted the local economy by more than £790,000, according to independent research.
An estimated 10,000 people came for the event, despite the windy wet weather, and 79% of them made their trip to Maryport specifically for the food and drink festival, which is organised by Cumberland Council.
Three quarters of those attending Taste of the Sea were from Cumberland, and another 13% were from elsewhere in Cumbria. 12% of people were from outside of the county, an increase on 6% in 2022. Visitors from outside of Cumbria came primarily from the North East (33%), South East (21%) and the East Midlands (17%).
It seems the weather did cut short their time in town – with the average ‘dwell time’ recorded as just under two hours. In comparison, the fantastically sunny weekend in 2022 saw people stay for around four and a half hours.
However, the gusty forecast didn’t spoil everyone’s fun. A total of 38% of the people interviewed were visiting the event for the first time. People who had been before were asked how the 2023 event compared to previous years, and 56% said it was better, while a third thought it was about the same.
95% of those interviewed said they would come to another similar event, and 90% would recommend it to others. When asked if they would be doing anything else apart from visiting Taste of the Sea, 63% said they would go for a meal or a drink, 16% were shopping and 24% said they would be sightseeing. These activities generated additional expenditure and the total economic impact of the 2023 Taste of the Sea Festival in Maryport is estimated at £790,775.
The economic boost is great news for the event organisers who had to make swift decisions to cope with the weather, which meant the Producer’s Market had to move from the heart of the town on Senhouse Street to a smaller sheltered spot on the harbourside,
Other attractions included a comedy night, crafty workshops, fairground rides and expert demos. There was a hot food court and a Rum Shack, and even an outdoor film screening of Finding Dory.
Councillor Anne Quilter, Cumberland Council’s Executive Member for Vibrant and Healthy Places, said: “This is a fantastic result for our local communities and we are so glad that 10,000 people didn’t let wind and rain stop them visiting Maryport and seeing all that this lovely town has to offer.
“As a Council, we are committed to increasing footfall in all of our towns and events like Taste Cumbria play a massive part in that. These festivals are the best in the county for showcasing fabulous food and drink from Cumbria and the surrounding area. We’re so proud to stage them and I can’t wait for the next event in Cockermouth in September.”
In addition to Maryport Town Council, Cumberland Council would also like to thank Maryport Business Group, Maryport Round Table, Vici for the use of their demonstration trailer, and Maryport Harbour Authority for the use of their land.
The next Taste Cumbria event is in Cockermouth on Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 September followed by the Taste Cumbria Christmas Festival on Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 December.
For further information, visit the Visit Allerdale website.