Ludlow Food Festival's fate to be decided in 'near future', organisers reveal

Ludlow Food Festival bosses believe there is room to build on this year’s “revitalised” event but will officially announce a decision on its future in the coming weeks and months.

The chairman of Ludlow Food Festival Martin Clemmey has thanked festival patrons, sponsors, stallholders, and others for making this year’s event possible.

Ludlow Food Festival 2026 took place between September 11 and 13.

The event was held in the shadow of the festival’s statement at the beginning of September, which said it was at a “crossroads” over its future due to an “increasingly challenging climate”.

In the statement, the Ludlow Marches Food and Drink board of directors, which has put on the Ludlow Food Festival for the last 30 years, said that this year’s event could possibly be the last in its current format.

However, speaking after the conclusion of the latest edition of the festival, Mr Clemmey said: “On behalf of Ludlow Food Festival, I’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who made this weekend possible and supported us.”

He added: “We are genuinely thrilled by the response to this year’s revitalised programme.

“We set out to create more immersive experiences, more opportunities to get involved and greater value, and it was fantastic to see so many of you embracing them.”

Mr Clemmey said that the event’s more affordable workshops proved to be a huge success.

The Vegify Asian Street Food session attracted a waiting list, and the Castle Kitchen Comes Alive demos and Cookery School workshops in the Fire Arena were also hugely popular.

The festival chairman went on to say: “Most importantly, we’ve seen what Ludlow Food Festival can be.

“We believe there is real potential to build on this year’s revitalised festival and take it into a new era.”

He added: “We also recognise that there is more to do, particularly in re-engaging with more elements of the Ludlow community.

“We will listen carefully to the feedback from this weekend and take that into account.

“There has been an incredible amount of support and goodwill shown towards the festival, and we are immensely grateful.”

In the chairman’s statement, he said that festival bosses would announce a decision on the event’s fate “in the near future”.

Neil and Sue Currie, founders of Netherton Foundry, in Cleobury Mortimer, called the festival “a great opportunity” to showcase fresh products.

They also praised this year’s new format, stating that it offers something fresh to “those who think they’ve seen it all before”.

Gary Walters, Managing Director of Ludlow Brewing Company, said: “We were proud to support the festival and delighted to have played such a big part in what was a fantastic weekend.”