As part of St Helens’ 150th anniversary celebrations, St Helens town centre will stage a special two-day event next week which will literally whet the borough’s appetite.
Supported by WISH FM and run in conjunction with Main Streat Ltd – a North West street food events and festivals management company – the St Helens International Food and Drink Festival will see a variety of food and drink stalls from around the world set up in Church Square. Meanwhile live musical entertainment from The Lancashire Hotpots and a Bavarian Oompah band will certainly bring a party atmosphere to town.
Visitors to the festival will be able to tuck into delicious food and treats, which includes vegan-friendly cuisine, from over twenty different stalls – and enjoy a tipple at a gin and fizz bar which includes a range of summer-inspired gins, Prosecco and strawberry Bellini.
Confirmed food traders include Nyama Choma (grilled meat); Italfresh (Caribbean inspired vegan food); Woks Cluckin (Asian street food); Bit’er Sweet Hog (hog roast), and Dough ‘n’ Co (sourdough pizza).
With the event focusing on St Helens’ international relationships – particularly with its partner towns of Stuttgart, Germany and Chalon-sur-Saone, France – a selection of wines will be brought over from Stuttgart.
And for fans of real ale, well-known local brewery Connoisseur Ales has partnered up with brewers from Stuttgart to produce a special collaborative ale, brewed in homage to the 70th anniversary of the twinning between Stuttgart and St Helens – the first such arrangement in Europe following World War II.
Linking perfectly to the cultural side of the event, a beer tapping ceremony, a traditional German-style toast, will be held at 12:45pm on Saturday (7 July). Art lovers will get the opportunity to view a pop up version of the “Project Zei” exhibition – a collaborative exchange project between St Helens and Stuttgart artists – in Parish Church.
Encouraging residents to come out in force and support the event, St Helens Council’s portfolio holder for arts and culture, Councillor Gill Neal, said “We’ve seen how popular similar events have proved to be when staged in neighbouring towns and cities, so I’m delighted that we’re able to bring one to St Helens town centre for the first time.
“I’m sure this event will appeal to a lot of people, so it would be fantastic if the community could come out in force to support it. After all, it promises to be a marvellous occasion, especially during our borough’s 150th anniversary celebrations.”
St Helens International Food and Drink Festival takes place over two days on Friday 6 July, 11am to 7pm, and Saturday 7 July from 10am to 6pm.
