eat:Festivals ready to host Somerset Day event
With so much uncertainty around 2021 events, the programme behind Somerset Day and any supporting activities has had to be carefully planned. Not least for our partners eat:Festivals whose organisers Bev and Sarah are excited to announce will be sharing their love of Somerset by hosting their annual Taunton eat:Festivals event in Taunton on Saturday 8th May.
eat:Festivals has supported Somerset Day since 2017 and were originally born out of a desire to reconnect people with the productive landscape that we’re so lucky to have surround us here in the County.
When Sarah and Bev first moved to a town surrounded by farms, they found a disconnect between residents and the productive landscape.
"Many of the people who live in Somerset no longer work on the land, but they may still want to have a connection to the landscape that surrounds them. We try to enable that relationship to be meaningful, to have economic value, to be socially rewarding.
The most obvious way we do this is at free, one day food & drink festivals, but we know that weekend shindigs, days out and socialising have all been turned on their heads over the past year with plans disrupted and many regular events cancelled. In 2021 we are hoping for the best, but ensuring our plans include a worst-case scenario. Last year we managed to deliver 6 socially distanced and covid-secure events between lockdowns and received praise from our local authority partners for our adaptation. We are thrilled that with the support of council officers and support services we are planning a fresh series of adapted markets in 2021 – including news ones in Clevedon, Lyme Regis, Honiton, Chipping Sodbury, Tiverton and Teignmouth.” says Bev who is busily organising her schedule in light of the governments plan for a safe exit from Lockdown.
Planning for events during the pandemic is very hard – but eat:Festivals recognise that many independent businesses rely on them for a large percentage of their direct sales.
Bev says: “We’re pleased it’s recognised that shopping outdoors at a market is deemed to be a safer way to access fresh produce. In 2021 our plans put our visitor’s safety at the heart of our decision making.”
eat:Festivals not only showcase local food & drink producers, but are also a valuable opportunity for the community to come together. With so many markets planned in 2021 there’s hope that people will find one near them and use it as a chance to catch up with people they might not have seen for many months – all whilst following the latest guidance.
Sarah and Bev will be flying the flag for Somerset at their Taunton event on the 8th May as well as from the top of St Mary Magdalene Church, in the centre of the town.
You can find more information on all the events scheduled by eat:Festivals here.
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