A recipe for success at Nottingham Food & Drink Festival

The Nottingham Food and Drink Festival 2010 has proved to be an irresistible event for the city’s foodies and budding chefs, with visitor numbers seeing a major increase.

A celebrity packed line-up, featuring Gino D’Acampo, Ainsley Harriott, Caribbean soul food star Momma Cherri and Michelin-starred chefs Atul Kochhar and Sat Bains, helped to attract 30% more visitors to the Festival in the Market Square, compared to 2009.

The four day event (23-26 September) also included charity Ready Steady Cook challenges, specialist demonstrations, a food market and events at bars and restaurants across the city, helping to showcase the very best of Nottingham’s food and drink scene.

Sylvia Manser, festival organiser and chief executive of We Are Nottingham, commented: “The city has one of the most diverse ranges of eateries outside of London and the festival was designed to introduce people to some of the undiscovered gems that are on their doorstep.

“The whole team is delighted that so many people came to see our celebrity chefs, purchase produce from local suppliers and sample what’s on offer at Nottingham’s bars and restaurants in our new hospitality area.”

The festival is organised by We Are Nottingham, which sees licensees in the city centre working together and contributing funds towards projects to give visitors the best possible experience when visiting the city.

This year’s event was also funded by the Greater Nottingham Partnership and supported by Experience Nottinghamshire, John Lewis, Waitrose and New College Nottingham.

“The hard work now starts all over again,” concluded Sylvia. “We are already looking ahead to 2011 to make sure that the Nottingham Food and Drink Festival is once again one of the highlights of the city’s events calendar.”

For more information on We Are Nottingham and the initiatives it runs across the city centre, visit: wearenottingham.co.uk