Dates confirmed for rebranded food festival

A celebration of the Isle of Man's local produce will return next year on 19 and 20 September, the enterprise department has confirmed.

The rebranded festival - now under the banner of The Big Manx Feast - will be held in Noble's Park in Douglas, marking a return for the showcase of island-produced food and drink for the first time since 2023.

The event was scrapped by the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture (Defa) in favour of smaller more targeted events.

But Rob Mercer MLC of the Department for Enterprise (DfE), which took over promotion of the food industry in April, said the revived event would "residents and visitors a fresh opportunity to enjoy the best of Manx produce".

The DfE said next year's event would be themed around the planned year-long celebration of the Manx language and the island's tradition of mheilleas, which celebrate the harvest on the island.

Mercer said the island's food and drink community had delivered "outstanding events that celebrate local talent and bring people together", and the new showcase would build on that momentum.

The rebranded festival aimed to create "real economic and community benefits" through promoting local traders to an international audience, he added.

• A Manx produce marquee showcasing new and well-established food and drink producers
• A food and drink hall offering a range of local and global flavours accompanied by live music
• A children's marquee
• Cooking demonstrations and talks
• A national food and drink awards programme under the Manx Menu banner
• Activites drawing in local groups, charities, artisans, and other small businesses from around the Island

Ollie Neale, managing director of Douglas-based brewery Okell's said the festival would "celebrate Manx provenance, inspire the next generation of producers, and attract tourists to our island".

After announcing the return of the festival earlier this year, DfE Minister Tim Johnston said he had listened to "disappointed" traders and recognised the event "still had a place".

The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture (Defa) made the "difficult decision" to shelve the event in 2024.

When cancelling the event, Defa suggested the festival had seen negative feedback from producers along with a drop in visitor numbers.

The DfE's Business Isle of Man agency has encouraged producers, caterers and non-food businesses to sign up to a mailing list to be kept abreast of application requirements.

The agency has also called for expression of interest from speakers and influencers who wish to participate in the event next year.

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