Clitheroe food festival could be extended with Sunday event under different organisers

Clitheroe’s hugely popular food festival could be extended to a two-day event. next summer.

This year’s one-day festival, held in August, attracted an estimated 25,000 peopel to the Ribble Valley town. Now some want to build on this success by stretching the event over a whole weekend – similar to previous incarnations of the festival.

However, factors including costs to Ribble Valley Council, sponsorship and stall income, road closures, security, the impact on Clitheroe high street shops, traffic and transport could stand in the way of a two-day Clitheroe Food Festival.

But other organisations such as Clitheroe Chamber of Trade & Commerce may step in to organise a smaller Sunday event.
Ideas were discussed at Ribble Valley Council’s latest economic development meeting,

Nicola Hopkins, the head of economic development, said: “The 2025 event was an exceptional success. At the last committee meeting, it was requested that we look at extending times with the Saturday event and/or holding something on the Sunday too.

“I’ve since spoken to traders and set-out the pros and cons of different ideas in a report. We’ve also come up with another idea of keeping the marquees at the market car park for a day longer, the Sunday. That would enable other organisations, such as the chamber of trade, to run a much smaller event.

“But we wouldn’t want Sunday activities to take away from the success of the Saturday. I’m not suggesting that would be the case. But we should get more information from the chamber, including costs.”

Conservative Coun Kevin Horkin said: “I want to thank council officers for the open-mindedness of this report. I quite like the suggestion of keeping the marquees there on the Sunday.

“The food festival was originally created by a former council leader, Michael Ranson, and run by a private limited company. He and Ian Lloyd, who was with the company, brought in other organisations and it worked well.

“I realise we don’t want to change or reverse the food festival. But it would be good to show we are moving forward as a council, especially given the proposed changes to councils in Lancashire in future. It would show this authority is totally behind this event.”

A council report said the total cost for the 2025 Ribble Valley Taste Fest of smaller events and Clitheroe Food Festival itself to the council was £14,386, with some residual costs still to be accounted for. The original budgeted cost was £27,560, showing ‘significant savings were made’.

Progressive Liberal Mark French said; “I’m please this year’s event saved money. That’s excellent. It has run over some times in the past. I also echo the comments about keeping the marquees for a Sunday event, as a first step towards having it over a weekend. If it’s a success, we can judge things and then move again.”

Conservative Robin Walsh generally agreed, saying: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. But we do need to get a report back on future costs.”

Conservative Simon Hore, the council leader, said: “I’m very supportive of this. I spoke to the chamber of trade president and she is very keen to explore options, which is fantastic.”

Looking ahead to the expected Lancashire council shake-up in 2028, he added:  “Who know how things will go under a new authority? But I think it’s good to embrace new ideas that come from the community for the longer term.”

Nicola Hopkins said council officers would go ahead with planning next August’s main Saturday festival and smaller Taste Fest events across the borough in the week before.