28 The Dartmouth Food Festival 18 - 20 O C T O B E R 2019


D


escribed by the Guardian newspaper as “One of the Top Ten food festivals in the UK”


and with The Telegraph saying It is a ‘heady mix of celebrity chefs, parties, food markets, tasting shacks and demonstrations’, it is no surprise that the Dartmouth food festival is now a landmark event on the culinary calen- dar.


The Festival was founded in 2003 and has


grown every year since. Despite the many pres- sures that, of course, accompany such growth, the Festival’s founding principles have stood firm. The not-for-profit Festival exists to promote Dartmouth as a destination and showcase the very best food and drink experiences in the South West – it really is as simple as that. Mitch Tonks, describes the Festival as having “a party atmosphere from start to finish” which is why he takes part every year and we love having him and his team.


Our volunteer team work


hard all year-round to en- sure the 3-day Festival of- fers up an appetising menu of exciting and enjoyable food and drink encounters to suit all tastes. Whether you want to get hands-on in a cookery workshop, watch your favourite chefs at work in the demonstration


kitchen, engage with new ideas and fresh chal- lenges at an Eat Your Words session or simply eat, drink and make merry, there is something for everyone.


Ahead of this year’s Festival which runs from 18-20 October, the Festival Team tackle some of your most frequently asked questions. Let’s go…


HOW DOES THE FESTIVAL GET PUT TOGETHER? Unusually for a Festival of its size and reputation, Dartmouth Food Festival is run almost entirely by volunteers – more than 100 of them and we are incredibly proud of each and every one! The Festival employs just one paid part-time administrator who acts as the main point of contact for everything and anything! Our Administrator is the ever positive, every patient - Lexi Dyer.


HOW DO YOU MANAGE TO KEEP THE FESTIVAL FREE ENTRY? Free entry into the festival for all is something we are intensely proud of and something that sets us apart from most other food festivals. Without the generous contribu- tions from our Sponsors and Patrons, the Festival simply couldn’t happen. We also rely heavily on income from stall holder pitch fees, proceeds from workshops, drink semi- nars and special supper events held during the Festival as well as year-round fundraising activ- ities. Sadly, there is no revenue grant funding for the Festival to apply for from local, district or county councils that would help with the costs of running the event. The Festival is non-profit making, meaning any surplus left over is reinvested in the Festival and our local community.


HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHICH STALL- HOLDERS ATTEND THE FESTIVAL?


Our stallholders are carefully handpicked so we can be sure of offering festival-goers a wide range of the highest quality local, regional and artisan produce. We avoid large companies and having too many stalls of the same category, ensuring that each producer has a fair chance to sell on the day and that there’s a balanced mix for those visiting. If you have an idea for new stalls - please do let us know so we can contact them!


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