Latest news with #BethHeath
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'You've got to be different'
Welcoming about 24,000 people across two days, and now in its 12th year, Shrewsbury Food Festival appears to have cracked the code for success as a large event. With events like Shrewsbury Flower Show, the Battle of Shrewsbury and Camp Bestival's Shropshire event being cancelled in the last 12 months, organisers face a series of challenges to make their festivals last. Ahead of this year's event on Saturday and Sunday at the Quarry, director of fun Beth Heath said the food festival's constant effort to make every year different was what kept people flooding through the gates. "You've got to mix it up, you've got to be different, otherwise you're not satisfying the audience," she said. "We also have big move-arounds of our stall-holders, we bring in new concepts. "We're quite a small team, we're able to be quite agile when it comes to bringing new things in." As usual, this year will see about 180 food and drink exhibitors, two live music stages, and two chef stages, alongside cooking for kids and activities. Ms Heath added that working with local people and producers, and being part of the local community, was also key to their success. After listening to visitor feedback, this year the festival has a Teach and Taste stage, where attendees can sample exhibitors' food - an evolution of its predecessor, Chef School. The event is also working with Shrewsbury Prison to offer free entry to the venue for those who attend the food festival on Sunday. Finally, the event is staying open until 22:00 BST on Saturday for the first time in its history, to host a gig raising money for a local charity. It is in aid of Shine On with Harvey Owen - set up by local woman Crystal Owen. It followed the death of her son Harvey and three friends in a car crash in Wales in 2023. "That charity is all about getting kids into food and music, which is exactly why we exist as well," said Ms Heath. "To be able to have a charity where we bring together people to enable other children to enjoy a food, drink or music career is absolutely essential for us." The food festival also has a dedicated community area that expands every year, featuring teams from local police, fire and water rescue services. "We're here to be part of the community, we are a food and drinks festival and that's obviously our predominant job, but we're also a huge part of the world that we live in, so we try and help people that way too." "If we can educate a youngster which means they don't get into a car with someone who's been drinking, or they don't take drugs, or they understand how to rescue somebody if they fall in the river… that's huge, that's them being a better member of our community." Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram. Which local festivals can I go to this summer? Why are festivals so hard to put on? Shrewsbury Food Festival to attract thousands Giant duck looms over thousands of festival-goers Shrewsbury Food Festival
BBC News
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
'You've got to be different', Shrewsbury Food Festival boss says
Welcoming about 24,000 people across two days, and now in its 12th year, Shrewsbury Food Festival appears to have cracked the code for success as a large events like Shrewsbury Flower Show, the Battle of Shrewsbury and Camp Bestival's Shropshire event being cancelled in the last 12 months, organisers face a series of challenges to make their festivals of this year's event on Saturday and Sunday at the Quarry, director of fun Beth Heath said the food festival's constant effort to make every year different was what kept people flooding through the gates."You've got to mix it up, you've got to be different, otherwise you're not satisfying the audience," she said. "We also have big move-arounds of our stall-holders, we bring in new concepts."We're quite a small team, we're able to be quite agile when it comes to bringing new things in."As usual, this year will see about 180 food and drink exhibitors, two live music stages, and two chef stages, alongside cooking for kids and activities. Ms Heath added that working with local people and producers, and being part of the local community, was also key to their listening to visitor feedback, this year the festival has a Teach and Taste stage, where attendees can sample exhibitors' food - an evolution of its predecessor, Chef event is also working with Shrewsbury Prison to offer free entry to the venue for those who attend the food festival on the event is staying open until 22:00 BST on Saturday for the first time in its history, to host a gig raising money for a local is in aid of Shine On with Harvey Owen - set up by local woman Crystal followed the death of her son Harvey and three friends in a car crash in Wales in 2023. "That charity is all about getting kids into food and music, which is exactly why we exist as well," said Ms Heath."To be able to have a charity where we bring together people to enable other children to enjoy a food, drink or music career is absolutely essential for us."The food festival also has a dedicated community area that expands every year, featuring teams from local police, fire and water rescue services."We're here to be part of the community, we are a food and drinks festival and that's obviously our predominant job, but we're also a huge part of the world that we live in, so we try and help people that way too.""If we can educate a youngster which means they don't get into a car with someone who's been drinking, or they don't take drugs, or they understand how to rescue somebody if they fall in the river… that's huge, that's them being a better member of our community." Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
16-02-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Why are festivals so hard to put on?
A new, free event hopes to attract people to a market town in Broseley Film Festival is offering a timetable of movies across three days, along with free food between is one of a number of new festivals announced during the last 12 months, including a multi-venue indie music event in Wolverhampton, and a 10-day celebration of Herefordshire's with several events in the region also being cancelled, why are they so hard to do, and what makes a good festival? "The ingredient, I guess, is putting yourself in your customer's shoes and really seeing what they would like to do," said Beth Heath, a director at Visit Shropshire."If people have got a hobby and they're properly passionate about it… you want to go and hang out with other people who are into the same thing." This is evident in the success of Wolverhampton Literature Festival, an event which started in 2014 and which last year saw thousands flocking to the shared love of film and being around others who have an interest in it is a driving force for Broseley Film Bowgett, the festival's chair, said he thought it was important people get together and watch films."I know you can sit at home and watch them on Netflix, but it's not the same as watching them with lots of other people around you on the big screen," he can choose from six films running at the community cinema from 21 February to 23 February, including Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and The Quiet Girl, which is running in both Gaelic and English. However, Mr Bowgett said the festival was partly only going ahead due to securing funding, and holding it again in the future would entirely depend on whether they could get the festival itself is free - so there's no extra cash being made from tickets or the bigger picture across the region is similar - often if funding is not there, events can struggle."The current climate is exceedingly hard for events, we see festivals going under all the time at the moment, there's several that won't ever come back," said Ms Heath."Funding is desperately needed."In 2024, Nozstock, an independent, family-run music festival held in Herefordshire, ended after 26 years due to people not buying as many tickets as they used September, Birmingham Diwali Mela festival was cancelled when organisers faced a "funding freeze".Meanwhile, the new Herefordshire Histories Festival recieved financial backing to run. 'Need to diversify' Another way of making a festival a success was to diversify, Ms Heath said."I think you have to keep reinventing it, you can't be complacent and sit back and say: 'That worked last year'."People want to have value for money, they want to have memories, they want to have Instagram moments."Last year, Wolverhampton Literature Festival asked the public to directly inform organisers about what they wanted to see, while Leek Beer Festival in Staffordshire used a goddess statue to try and entice more support for the festivals was vital, she said."If you don't support local events, they will not be there." Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
