One of the South West’s biggest food and drink festivals has been cancelled due to coronavirus restrictions. Flavour Fest, Plymouth’s flagship three-day food and drink festival which attracts up to 100,000 visitors, was due to take place at the end of May 2021.
But with coronavirus restrictions still in place until at least 21 June, organisers have decided not to go ahead this year.
Steve Hughes, chief executive of the Plymouth City Centre Company, said: “We are really sad to have to cancel Flavour Fest for the second year running but it’s just not the right time to stage an event of this scale that attracts so many people. We hope that we will be back with a bang in 2022.”
Plymouth City Centre Company and partners are now working on plans for other city centre events throughout summer and into the autumn, with the aim of attracting more visitors and boosting trade for city centre businesses.
There are plans for the return of a summer ‘Pub on the Piazza’, along with food and street market stalls, live entertainment, street theatre, dance and art.
This will be combined with free permits for tables and chairs, encouraging businesses to offer outdoor dining.
Mr Hughes added: “We hope there will be no more lockdowns and we will be doing all we can to attract visitors back safely and make sure our businesses bounce back and have a great summer.”
Non-essential shops are due to reopen on 12 April which is also when cafes, bars and restaurants can open outdoors with social distancing measures in place.