Shrewsbury Food Festival cooks up a plan for football fans

Even the kick-off time is inconvenient, with the 1pm start coinciding with the festival’s busiest time.

Organisers realised huge numbers of fans will want to tune in to check the progress of Gareth Southgate’s men. And since they don’t want to see a big drop in numbers with people staying away from the event in favour of football. So they have come up with a solution to please both football fans and those looking to escape.

Event organiser Beth Heath said: “We’re installing a massive screen in The Quarry so that people can watch the match and not miss a single minute.

“But that will be in a special sports area, away from the traders, so people who want to escape the football or focus on great local producers won’t get distracted.

“It’s really the best of both worlds. One part of the park will be nice and quiet with great festival vibes as people enjoy brilliant barbecue, great food producers, lovely drinks and family entertainment. Another area will be separated off and there’ll be a giant screen so people can get together and cheer on the national football team. It should be great.”

The food festival was launched in 2013 and each year attracts up to 25,000 people.

This year’s event will take place on June 23 and 24 and feature more than 200 local producers, music from local unsigned bands on the Buttermarket Music Stage and a raft of celebrity chef demonstrations.

The festival has won numerous awards since its launch and has become the most popular in Shropshire.

Mrs Heath added: “We’ve gone up against Glastonbury and now we’re going up against the World Cup – but each year, big crowds come to visit us because they realise we’ve got the best food, drink and family entertainment in Shropshire.”

Further details are available at shrewsburyfoodfestival.co.uk