Pic © JMU Journalism
Crowds flocked to Sefton Park for Liverpool Food and Drink Festival, with a record number of 60,000 people said to have attended this year.
The first chef to ever receive two Michelin stars for a pub restaurant, Tom Kerridge, headlined the weekend event.
Kerridge, an award-winning landlord turned celebrity and TV chef, was full of praise for the festival and Scousers generally. While he is a fan of the city itself, he feels there is still some catching-up to do when it comes to building on its culinary credentials.
The 41-year-old, who is originally from the West Country but now based in London, told JMU Journalism: “It’s full of some of the loveliest, friendliest people you could ever meet here.
“Outside of Liverpool there’s this image of the people, but you get here and it is completely different… it’s the opposite, topsy-turvy. It’s a wonderful city.”
However, Mr Kerridge added: “Liverpool has not got a reputation for great restaurants. It’s not the same as Manchester, which is so advanced. It takes a lot of time [to improve] – it grows through the culture of what people really want to eat.”
Event organiser, Denise Harris, said she was delighted with the turn-out.
Pam Wilshere, 61, who originally helped to found the festival, told JMU Journalism: “The original aim was to showcase eating-out in Liverpool.
“It’s about letting everyone that comes here see what fantastic food offers we have got across the city and let people enjoy it, experimenting with local food.”