Dorset Seafood Festival is back for 17th year but not without controversy
The popular Dorset Seafood Festival returns to Weymouth Harbour this weekend with free entry as £50,000 public funding comes under scrutiny
Dorset Seafood Festival returns to Weymouth this weekend, bringing one of the town’s biggest annual attractions back to the harbourside with free admission for visitors.
The two-day festival, taking place today and tomorrow, will celebrate Dorset’s seafood industry by bringing together local fishermen, chefs and food producers from across the county and the wider south coast.
Now in its 17th year, the festival has previously attracted crowds of more than 60,000 people, becoming one of the region’s best-known summer events.
Organisers say this year's programme will showcase the “very best of Dorset seafood”, with fresh fish dishes, street food, locally sourced produce, live cookery demonstrations, music and family entertainment lining Weymouth Harbour throughout the weekend.
But the event's return has also prompted questions over the use of public money after £50,000 from Dorset Council's harbour budget was allocated to support the festival.
Independent harbours advisory committee member Mark Roberts said he wanted organisers to provide audited accounts detailing how the funding would be spent.
“This is public money that we are funding a commercial operation with,” he said.
Roberts also questioned claims that the festival would generate millions of pounds for the local economy and asked whether any financial surplus should be returned or retained for future events.
Responding to the concerns, harbours manager Ed Carter said economic impact data indicated the festival generated around £3 million for Weymouth and confirmed he would share the evidence with committee members.
He also noted that income from stallholder fees would be paid into the harbour accounts.
Meanwhile, councillor Gary Suttle questioned how the funding figure had been determined.
“We are told there are no figures, so how do we know they need the £50,000?” he asked.
Mr Carter replied that the sum reflected the amount requested by organisers during negotiations with the council to bring the festival back to Weymouth while allowing it to operate as a free-to-attend event.