Thousands of people ate, drank, shopped and laughed in the sunshine at the second Taste of the Sea festival in Maryport.
Organised by Allerdale council, with Maryport Town Council as its main sponsor, the event was a showcase of fabulous fish and seafood, as well as other food and drink from across the county. It was also a chance for Maryport to show off its harbourside and its history, its culture and its personality.
Visitors and locals alike packed the producers’ market, hot food court and festival marquee drinks tent which was transformed into a Rum Shack by Maryport Round Table. They picnicked on the sea shore, watched live music on the festival stage, and admired the chefs at work on the Vici Demo Kitchen Truck stage.
The fishy offerings ranged from stalls selling fresh, smoked and cooked food from the sea, with demos and samples available from Cumbria Wildlife Trust who also organised crabbing activities and nature trails. There were even gifts like pottery and candles for sale with a seaside theme.
The Chelaris fishing boat team sold their catch on the harbour, with queues 20 people deep at 9am, before the festival had even officially opened. They sold so much to hungry visitors that they couldn’t come back for the second day.
Throughout the town, pubs and shops also got involved with entertainment during the day and evening, while Maryport RLFC hosted a comedy night headlined by Clinton Baptiste from Peter Kay’s Phoenix Nights. Visitors also had the chance to see two new oral history films which explore Maryport from the 1930s to the 1950s.
Little ones were well catered for too, with a children’s fairground and face painters, crafts and fairy princesses from Rainbow Wishes Foundation, and a new treasure hunt, with clues created by local primary and junior schools, thanks to Little Pictures workshops.
Ellie Windridge, event manager for Allerdale council, said: “What an amazing weekend! The sun shone, the streets and the harbourside were packed, traders sold out, and there were smiling faces everywhere.
“The only problem we had was trying to stay cool, but cold drinks from the brilliant Rum Shack with the pirates from Maryport Round Table, plus plenty of ice cream helped!
“Thank you to this year’s main sponsor, Maryport Town Council. Thank you also to Taste of the Lakes fine food producer, Grants Oak Smoked salmon specialists, Maryport Business Group, Maryport Round Table, Vici for the use of their demonstration trailer, Maryport Harbour Authority for the use of their land.”
The next Taste Cumbria festival takes place in Cockermouth on Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 September then it’s Taste Cumbria Christmas Festival on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 December.
