For the 7th year in a row, Liverpool celebrates its fine restaurants, bars, cafes and regional food producers. From 19 - 21 September, Liverpool Food and Drink Festival transforms Sefton Park into a weekend where delicious food is all that matters.
With more than 160 talented local chefs and producers serving up a giant feast for the public, this an excellent opportunity to experience great food as well as cooking demonstrations and masterclasses.
Friday Pub in the Park
This year’s edition has been extended a day longer as it kicks off on the Friday with an exciting pop-up Pub in the Park. This is a celebration of the great British pub focusing on pub grub, real ales, spirits, live music and entertainment.
Many of you might think of pub grub as junk food, but that is definitively not always the case. The two Michelin star chef, Tom Kerridge, will prove otherwise as he hosts an exclusive dinner where Liverpool’s newest fine dining restaurant, the Art School by Paul Askew, will be catering the event. After the dinner, you can get answers to all your food related queries in a Q & A session with Chef Kerridge. Just remember to book your table in advance. Later on there will also be a fun and humorous pub quiz with the legendary Jonny Bongo.
In the Beer and Bangers tent, you can enjoy a big selection of craft beers and tasty hot dogs. Outside there will be a street food zone where you can try everything from posh pork pies, cheeses and olives, to coffee, fudge and liqueurs.
Friday Pub in the Park is all about relaxing and is the perfect start of a weekend with a cheerful atmosphere with lots of entertainment from live music to pub games and even dodgems.
Saturday and Sunday Delights
For Saturday and Sunday, the scene changes to the more familiar Liverpool Food and Drink Festival. For these two days, Sefton Park will be the centre for great food, drinks and entertainment where you can enjoy the themed dining areas, a beer festival, champagne bar and music stages.
During the weekend, there will be several areas for you to indulge in great dishes. The largest area will be the restaurant area, which will be full of stands with chefs from of the best restaurants in Liverpool. Here you have the opportunity to taste their signature dishes, as well as one-offs that will only be available at the festival.
Tom Kerridge will return on Saturday to display his skills in the Celebrity Chef Arena. On Sunday, it will be the turn of Middle Eastern Chef, Yotam Ottolenghi.
Remember to take a closer look in the Heavenly Chocolate Area too; it is just what it sounds like. Here you will find a number of dedicated chocolatiers. There is also a children’s zone where the little ones can have fun in a range of food-related activities like plant potting, vegetable planting and potato painting.
After a weekend of gastronomic delights, the celebrations continues for a whole week with several events across the Merseyside city. This includes the Liverpool Food & Drink Awards, which recognise local talents in the hospitality industry.
Whether you would like to visit Liverpool for a week or weekend, the Radisson Blu Hotel is the perfect accommodation choice located in the heart of the city centre and only 10 minutes away from Sefton Park.