Dorset Seafood Festival 2012 Confirms Most Ambitious Programme Ever

06 July 2012

Dorset Seafood Festival, 7th & 8th July (part of Spirit of the Sea) has confirmed its most ambitious programme to date for 2012. As the last local event before Weymouth is ‘dressed’ as the host venue for the London 2012 Olympic & Paralympic sailing it promises fun for all the family. With a host of celebrity chef demos, a huge seafood village serving a vast range of freshly cooked dishes, Lesley Waters’ cookery school, the across the harbour swim, Olympic torches and live diving tanks displays, it all takes place in the idyllic setting of Weymouth’s traditional harbour.

Three times gold medallist Sara Ayton OBE will kick-start the festival with an official opening and the start of the Weird Fish Across the Harbour Swim. Locals will swim the breadth of Weymouth Harbour, eat an oyster and drink a glass of Pommery champagne, the festival’s sponsor for the third year running. The start of the festival will also welcome two Olympic torches, one from the 1948 Games which will be paraded throughout the event.

The demonstration stages will be alive with guest celebrity chefs sharing their knowledge, and emerging chefs will be fighting it out in heated ‘cook-offs’ for the title of Dorset’s Young Seafood Masterchef Competition’. Once again this will be judged by local celebrity chef Mark Hix, who will also be demonstrating at the event.

The 2012 festival will also see the addition of Lesley Waters’ cookery school located, as part of an extended festival area, in Weymouth Pavilion’s forecourt, tickets for which will be available on the days of the festival.

Ashley Palmer Watts (Head chef at Heston Blumenthal’s Dinner) Mat Follas, Tim Maddams (River Cottage), Silla Bjerram, John Wright, Richard Bertinet and Giles Thompson will also be part of the festivities, sharing their in-depth knowledge of how to cook seafood and local produce.

Visitors will also enjoy the fare from over 100 stalls serving a range of freshly cooked seafood dishes throughout this two-day event; historical diving displays in a large glass-sided diving tank; and the wonderful convivial ambience created by one of the largest and most visited seafood festivals in the UK.

‘This year’s ambitious programme is thanks to the event’s sponsors which include Pommery Champagne, Weird Fish, South West Trains, FishFace (Ingredients sponsor), AGA Rangemaster (Cookery Theatre Sponsor), Ringwood Brewery, Oval Insurance, Commercial Recycling, Wines of Chile, Cono Sur, Wessex Water, Samuel’s Fresh Fish and media partners the Dorset Echo, Resort Marketing, BeSocial and Dorset magazine. We are incredibly grateful for their support and look forward to delivering a great return on their investment,” commented Brian Cooper, DSF 2012 committee member.

Ends

Editor’s Notes

  1. Press release supplied by Tandem Marketing, please contact Lisa Worthington on 01305 458414 or 07889 403185
  2. For Dorset Seafood Festival images and footage please visit www.dorsetseafood.co.uk
  3. The ‘Spirit of the Sea – Weymouth & Portland Maritime Festival’ is now in its 5th year taking place over 15 days from 30th June to 15th July 2012 and comprises of over 30 maritime related events taking place across the borough. For more information contact the Event Manager – Roy Griffiths 01305 832512 or visit www.spiritofthesea.org.uk

 

 

 

 

 

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