The Dorset Seafood Festival will return to the Weymouth Peninsula on September 7th and 8th for its 16th year. This year’s festival promises an unforgettable weekend of Dorset and UK seafood, the best of Dorset ales, English sparkling wine, cocktails, live music curated by local legends The Leggomen and a lineup of outstanding seafood chefs.
Tickets for the event have been selling at a storming rate and there are more food producers, chefs and stands than ever before. To really celebrate this wonderful weekend, key sponsors Hall & Woodhouse and Louis Pommery England have their pub garden and wine garden respectively. Bringing the vibe is The Nook Cocktail Club, sponsoring the Après Sea stage and serving cocktails from the brand new ‘Sipping Container’ bar to the later time of 8pm on the Saturday.
Festival Director, Sophie Kermani said: “We are so proud of The Dorset Seafood Festival, it draws in visitors from all over the country and indeed from as far as Canada! As always we have such an incredible array of seafood on offer and this year we have more seafood stands than ever. For the first time we have an incredible sushi offering from Bellyand other delicious offerings such as moules mariniere with frites, grilled lobster, crab fritters, Whitby scampi, salt & pepper squid, seafood paella, Portland pearl oysters, Dorset surf and turf , fish curries, crab mac and cheese and of course those sensational sushi platters! For those visitors that aren’t into fish as much, we have some alternative dishes for you too – including lamb gyros with artisan tzatziki, peri peri chicken wraps, crispy shredded duck, Dorset Beef Brisket Croquette, and many stand holders offer various vegan and vegetarian options too.”
Festival Highlights:
School of Fish – FREE Kids Cookery Workshop — If your children are interested in cooking and would like to learn how to prepare anything from mackerel pate to seafood linguine – then book them onto The ‘School of Fish’ pop-up cookery workshop, brought to you by Weymouth College. This is available FREE to pre-book for children attending the Festival with their parents, there might be some spaces available on the day.
The Blue Seas Marquee – ARTWEY is back to bring out the budding artist in your child! Last year the marquee was filled with stunning ‘under the sea’ themed art and the children had so much fun. ARTWEY will be creating some masterpieces alongside the children.
Diamond Faces will also be on hand for some stunning face painting creations.
The Fish Mish Zone – Visit the Fish Mish Zone to meet some of the Fishermen’s Mission Welfare officers and learn about the charity’s incredible work. Join the team at the Bay Stage, where Dean Lawrence will take to the stage for a ‘Ready Steady Cook’ style demo while discussing the work of the Fishermen’s Mission. The Dorset Seafood Festival has raised nearly £90,000 for the Fishermen’s Mission, a cause that is close to the festival’s heart
The Après Sea Music Stage and The Nook Cocktail Club Sipping Container —The Acoustic Music Stage has been curated by local legends The Leggomen.
SATURDAY: 12:00 Finlay Leslie ⭑ 13:00 Thirsty Ferrets ⭑ 14:00 Carley Varley ⭑ 15:00 Barbara Gasior ⭑ 16:00 The Bridport Broadsides Shanty Crew ⭑ 17:00 Finnian McGurk ⭑ 18:00 – 20:00 ⭑ DJ OJAY
SUNDAY: 11:00 Identikit ⭑ 12:15 Stereoironics ⭑ 13:15 That Britpop Band ⭑ 14.15 The Jolly Boys Outing ⭑ 15:15 Chief Lazarus ⭑ 16:45 The Leggomen
Badger Brewery Beer Garden – Experience Badger Beers from the Badger Brewery Beer Garden. With plenty of seating and the best beer in Dorset, don’t forget to bring your crab sandwich, seafood biryani and shellfish seaside pots!
The Louis Pommery England Wine Garden – Visitors to The Dorset Seafood Festival can enjoy a delightful experience at The Louis Pommery England Wine Garden, located within Coastal Tents’ stunning giant tipi. This year’s wine garden is beautifully adorned with plants and flowers from Goulds Garden Centre, creating a serene and inviting atmosphere. Guests can sit back, relax, and savour the first English sparkling wine from a Champagne House – choose between Louis Pommery England Brut or Rosé, both of which are the perfect accompaniments to the griddled large lobsters and fresh oysters available from Weyfish in the garden.
The Fish Auction – The fabulous fish auction is a fun festival favourite! Towards the end of both days the fish auction takes place, hosted by the incredibly entertaining Duncan Lucas. Bid on some delicious local catches as well as some fantastic prizes kindly donated by our sponsors, with all monies raised going to the Fishermen’s Mission. Commercial fishing is one of the UK’s most dangerous occupations. At sea, fishermen and women face death and injury, with an average of 15 fishermen killed or seriously injured every year. The Fishermen’s Mission is a lifeline for many and plays a vital role in fighting poverty and despair in our fishing communities.
The Harbour Stage – hosted by curing & smoking expert, award-winning author and presenter Steven Lamb. Chef demos include: Nigel Bloxham from the award-winning The Crab House Café. Mike Naidoo of Catch at the Old Fish Market. Duncan Lucas is the king of filleting helping to raise thousands for The Fishermen’s Mission with his entertaining “fish auctions”. Susy Atkins award-winning drinks columnist for The Sunday Telegraph and Stella magazine hosting a wine tasting session with Will Perkins, head winemaker at Pinglestone Estate with English sparkling wines, Louis Pommery England brut and rose. Mark Woodhouse, is a firm favourite at Dorset Seafood Festival – family Director of Hall & Woodhouse will be hosting a Badger Beer and cheese pairing tutorial. Amy Burton is the co-owner of The Nook Cocktail Club in Weymouth, a celebrated venue known for its award-winning cocktails and lively atmosphere. With a passion for mixology and innovative cocktail experiences, Amy will host a cocktail masterclass, showcasing her expertise and creative concoctions. Philippa Davis is a Dorset based Chef and Food Writer and makes her Festival debut. Ben Palmer is an award-winning chef from The Sardine Factory Restaurant in Loo. More recently Ben was featured on Great British Menu and made it to the banquet stages. Charlie Jeffreys – Hailing from Dorset, Charlie is a finalist of Masterchef the professionals. Charlie is currently living in Dorset and working on something very special! Louise Perry-Warnes is chef and owner of Flames and Feasts, which centres around cooking over an open fire using the best seasonal and local produce possible. James Mearing is Executive Chef, Summer Lodge Hotel. James will be cooking up a seafood storm!
The Bay Stage – Gus Caslake – South West Regional Manager of SEAFISH is our wonderful compere on The Bay Stage. With demos from: Mark Woodhouse family Director of Hall & Woodhouse will be hosting a Badger Beer and cheese pairing tutorial. Duncan Lucas – will be demonstrating his lighting knife skills. Kasae Fraser is a 2023 MasterChef finalist and is currently working with her partner Vincent Gatay hosting private dining and supper clubs with their company Our Table. Dean Lawrence – A chance to hear from the team at the Fishermen’s Mission about the invaluable support they offer fishing families across the UK. Ashley Perry – Catering Skills Lead & Avenue Manager at Weymouth College + Weymouth College Students – will be creating their own seafood dish, come and give these upcoming chefs your support! Ian Hewitt – Ian has delivered excellent talks on stage for many years and has a 25 year career in hospitality. Ian now shares his passion and knowledge for food with secondary school children – hoping to ignite passion in a new generation. Hayley Elston, affectionately known as “The Codmother,” is the visionary founder of The Fabulous Catch Company, nestled in The New Forest. Renowned for her innovative “crabulous” crab cakes, Hayley utilises every edible part of the crab to create her signature zero-waste delicacies.
The Dorset Seafood Festival is an annual celebration that highlights the rich fishing heritage and culinary excellence of the region. Set against the stunning backdrop of Weymouth Bay and Harbour, the festival attracts thousands of visitors each year, offering a unique opportunity to sample the best of British seafood while learning about sustainable fishing practices and marine conservation.
For more information and tickets: visit www.dorsetseafood.co.uk
