Thousands pack out food festival as local restaurants brand it a ‘rip off’

Southport Food & Drink Festival is entering its third and final day of the 2024 show after hosting thousands of people at Victoria Park.

Good weather on Saturday resulted in huge queues across the site and hardly any room to sit down with thousands of people estimated to have attended across the day.

Demand was so high that a number of stalls were sold out well before the 6pm finishing time and had no choice but to close early.

A positive forecast is expected to bring even more people to the final day of the three day food festival on Sunday.

However despite a number of local traders sharing the stage with others from across the country, some Southport businesses have hit out at the council run festival claiming it drives away business from the town centre.

The popular Hungry Monk restaurant, based in Cambridge Arcade, posted to Facebook to say “never mind filling the pockets of food retailers from out of Southport at the food festival.

“we’ll feed the kids,” the post added offering free meals for under 15s with a paying adult.

“Don’t go to the rip off council run food festival. Support Southport based businesses.”