Town to hold two food and drink festivals in 2026

Torridge District Council said the eat:Bideford festival attracted about 8,500 visitors in 2025

A food and drink event in north Devon will be held twice in 2026 after a "record-breaking" number of visitors this year, a council has said.

Torridge District Council said the eat:Bideford festival had more than 8,500 attendees this year compared to 6,000 in 2023, when the event was first held.

The council said "We are thrilled to announce that Bideford won't just be getting one festival in 2026… we're getting two."

Economic development manager Chris Fuller said the food and drink market featured produce from within a 30-mile radius: "It's about celebrating everything we have in the local area."

He said: "It's a great opportunity to enjoy brilliant local food and drink in a beautiful space alongside the river in Bideford, that doesn't get used as much as we would like."

Mr Fuller said the event had received positive feedback from visitors and businesses because there were few events of its scale in the area.

He said this year's success felt like a "massive opportunity" to do more.

"We have got an amazing array of producers here in Torridge and north Devon and when you can say we are getting 8,000 coming into this fun space, producers want to get involved," Mr Fuller said.

The council is planning to open invitations to local producers and traders from 1 November, with events planned for 11 April and 24 October.