News Release: 30th October 2013
Champagne Pommery continues to invest in Award Winning Festival
Gold winner in the Dorset Tourism Awards this year, Dorset Seafood Festival has not only taken the ‘Dorset Tourism Event of the Year’ award but also secured a new 5-year sponsorship agreement with its title sponsor, Champagne Pommery. To top the celebrations, this year’s Seafood Festival raised a total of £7973 for its charity partner, The Fishermen’s Mission.
Sara Hicks, Commercial Director, Vranken Pommery UK commented: “We believe that the Dorset Seafood Festival is the perfect event for our champagne, matching the quality of local seafood with the historical setting of Weymouth Harbour to provide an exceptional festival atmosphere.
Sara continued: “We look forward to working with the team over the next few years to develop a nationally recognised, quality Festival for Weymouth and Dorset.”
A not-for-profit event, The Pommery Dorset Seafood Festival won the Dorset Tourism Award based on the organisers’ commitment to showcase the best local seafood as part of a quality tourist experience and build it into one of the top food festivals in the country.
With visitor numbers over 50,000, the event continues to promote links between the county, the seafood industry and the Weymouth tourist industry. The location of Weymouth Harbour is ideal as it houses the port’s fishing fleet and is surrounded by restaurants serving fresh, local seafood. Now a major food event in the UK, The Pommery Dorset Seafood Festival was this year voted 4th best food festival in the UK by the Independent newspaper.
2014 will see a further extended and diverse programme of events, including more interactivity with chefs, ‘How To’ demonstrations, entertainment and family activities. This is in addition to the 100 plus stalls offering a huge variety of freshly prepared seafood dishes to create a unique street food experience around Weymouth’s historic old harbour.
Festival Director, Roger Dalton added: “Champagne Pommery’s continued support gives us the opportunity to invest in the future development of the festival as well as supporting the good work of The Fishermen’s Mission. We are passionate about promoting the quality of our local seafood industry and the continued loyalty and commitment of our title sponsor will allow us to broaden the scope of the festival and build on its national reputation.“
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Notes to the Editor
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Partner / Sponsor & Charity Information
Champagne Pommery
Madame Pommery described her Champagne in two words, joyful lightness. Going a little further, Pommery has delicacy and intensity, heart and spirit, and a subtle style that is able to distinguish and promote the elegance of the flavours rather than their power. A completely fresh style, with a flash of flavours that settle on the palate to produce a tender taste.
Dorset Tourism Awards
“The judges were really impressed by an event that not only focuses on Dorset’s food and drink, but one that has developed year on year and which goes the extra mile in promoting and attracting visitors to Dorset”
The Fishermen’s Mission
The Fishermen’s Mission is the only fishermen’s charity that provides emergency support alongside practical and emotional care. It helps all fishermen, active or retired, and their families.It does this by:
- Offering immediate assistance, day or night, to the families of fishermen who have been killed or seriously injured
- Looking after the survivors of fishing boat accidents· Helping injured or ill fishermen to find medical help· Finding emergency housing and food if necessary
- Supporting fishermen’s families in the case of illness, distress or financial difficulties·
- Alleviating loneliness by visiting retired fishermen and their families at home or in hospital
- Offering welfare and support to overseas fishermen, working in the UK fishing industry, especially those who have to live onboard boats· Providing Christian pastoral and practical help, including problems with debt, sickness, bereavement, family difficulties, debt and addiction problems.