Couple chalk up 125 food festival events across the West Country

A Somerset couple have notched up 125 food festival events across the West Country after starting with one in their home town of Burnham-on-Sea a decade ago.

Beverley and Sarah Milner Simonds run eat:Festivals and have expanded the business to host events from the Cotswolds down to Devon and Dorset. They are planning their first event in Cornwall next year.

Hundreds of people turned out in Somerset's county town for eat:Taunton on Saturday 16 December, with a distinctly festive feel adding to the atmosphere.

The events are free to attend and are run as a not-for-profit social enterprise, with surplus funds put into local food and drink project.

Sarah said: "In 2024 there are 31 planned and that’s right from the Cotswolds down to Cornwall in Bodmin and down to the south coast but we started in Somerset and Burnham’s our home town and we just worked out from there where we were invited.

Beverley said: "It hasn’t always been smooth sailing but we did manage to deliver events during Covid, we’re delivering them during a cost of living crisis, we delivered them in storms, we’ve delivered them in heatwaves but, yeah, it’s fantastic to still be working together, still smiling and still delivering great days trade for these businesses as well."