Holbeach Food Festival 2022 a huge success, says organiser Nick Worth
Holbeach Food Festival was a roaring success once again as visitors enjoyed a weekend packed full of fun.
A host of new food businesses set up shop at Carter’s Park on Saturday and Sunday, offering a wide range of tasty treats.
More than 40 craft stalls were in attendance after proving particularly popular last year, with the area behind Holbeach United FC’s facilities being put to use.
Sri Lankan street food was on the menu courtesy of Kura Kura, while Stamford-based Chilli Fever were selling some of their signature hot sauces.
Pies, pizza, Mexican food and cheese toasties were also on offer - and dessert was covered by Tiffin & Co Bakehouse’s cookies and brownies.
And on Sunday, the popular strongman and strongwoman event added a competitive streak to proceedings.
Several thousand people turned up to show their support, and South Holland District Council deputy leader Nick Worth - who organises the festival as an individual - was delighted that hard work to prepare it paid off.
“It was a brilliant weekend. The weather was very kind to us considering what the forecast was, so it was fabulous,” he said.
“Stallholders are very happy, they had a good weekend. It was just a constant stream of people coming in, so it was nice to get that support from the people of Holbeach and further around.
“The atmosphere was lovely. It had a really nice community feel to it - there were a lot of families out there, and a lot of people bringing their dogs as well.
“I’d like to thank the volunteers that have helped me.”
This was the eighth festival that Coun Worth has put together in Holbeach - but he says the time has come for him to pass on the mantle to a new set of organisers.
If this was his last, it was a great way to bow out - Fenspirits provided flavoured vodkas and gins, with the Birdhouse Brewery dishing out bottled beer and cider.
The National Centre for Food Manufacturing, based in Holbeach, also brought along two robots to give visitors a helping hand at the festival. One dished out sweets, while another helped to make teas and coffees.
Coun Nick Worth was over the moon with the community’s response to the 2022 Holbeach Food Festival - and he certainly enjoyed the weekend himself.
The event’s chief organiser has had his say on five of the biggest highlights across Saturday and Sunday at Carter’s Park.
- A selection of new stallholders
There were a range of new foods on offer at the festival, and Coun Worth made sure to give his seal of approval at as many as he could.
Eat Ya Fajita was a particular highlight, catering for vegan visitors as well with their delicious wraps.
Pie providers were also amongst the pick of the bunch.
“They came in very different vehicles, that just made it very interesting,” Coun Worth said.
- Fudged Up
You can guess what this business was dishing out - and they passed all of Coun Worth’s tests.
“For me personally, Fudged Up were marvellous,” he said.
“I like my chocolate and my fudge, and they were next to a drizzle company - so they really were a clear hit amongst the community.”
- Strongman and Strongwoman Competition
No surprises here - this event is always an eye-catcher at the Food Festival.
“It’s great to see how many supporters they get,” said Coun Worth.
“For Royals Gym in Holbeach, that’s another local link. So it all adds to the atmosphere.
“It brought in a lot of people as it always does. I think they had a great time - there were some tired looking people at the end of it.”
- A great selection of drinks
“As always we had Birdhouse Brewery, who were very popular - and worked out it wouldn’t be a bad thing to bring some Christmas boxes even though it’s a long way off,” Coun Worth said.
Fenspirits also served up some flavoured vodkas and gins, with tea and coffee aplenty for those looking for something a little less strong.
- The Women's Institute
The group was on hand to dish out some delicious baked goods at the festival.
“It was great to see the WI there doing so well - a nice local side to that,” Coun Worth added.
