Bolton Food and Drink Festival 2024 wins top award

The Bolton Food and Drink Festival returned to the town for the 20th time earlier this year despite a battering from Storm Lillian on its opening day.

But organisers and stall holders still managed to put on a memorable festival, which has now been honoured with the Leading Live Event accolade at the This Is Manchester Awards 2024.

Council cabinet member for culture Cllr Nadeem Ayub said: “The Bolton Food and Drink Festival is our biggest event of the year, and we were never going to let the bad weather dampen our spirits.

“We have a strong community that will always pull together in the face of adversity to make the impossible, possible.

Organisers and stall holders battled back after being hit by Storm Lillian (Image: Bolton Council)

“Everyone works tirelessly on this event to make each year better than the last and this award is thoroughly deserved, proving that hard work and dedication pays off.”

Though Storm Lillian had delayed the festival’s opening day on August 23, council staff along with their partners and sponsors worked hard to make sure could still open the next morning.

The festival proved to be hugely popular (Image: Paul Heyes)

The festival then featured three days of activities from celebrity chef demos and music stages to children’s events and around 200 market stalls selling the best local produce.

The event was supported by headline sponsors Watson Homes.

It was this that helped to impress the judging panel at the year’s awards, along with the festival’s track record and longevity.

The festival still went ahead after the storm (Image: Paul Heyes)

Celebrity chef, and festival Saturday headliner, Ainsley Harriot was one of many attendees to be impressed.

He said that “one of the reasons I come to Bolton again, and again and again is because of the people".

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The festival has won the Leading Live Event award before in 2022 and has also claimed the Most Loved Event category at the I Love Manchester Awards in 2023.

Council leader Cllr Nick Peel said: “We’ve had the pleasure of putting on this amazing event for the past 19 years and it is the highlight of our events calendar every year. 

“Events like this drive our visitor economy, increasing footfall to the town centre, supporting our local businesses and making our town centre more vibrant.

“This year wasn’t without its challenges, but we certainly proved we know how to put on a show, and I couldn’t be more proud of everyone involved.”

The Bolton Food and Drink Festival will return in 2025.