Bolton Food and Drink Festival: Traders give their verdict

Angela Tierney, store manager at Bolton’s M&S said: “The food festival brings in people from across the country and gives them the opportunity to see some of the fantastic improvements in places such as the Market Place and Newport Street.”

Coffee Grind, owned by Nigel and Jill Lyons, triple their takings when the festival is on. Nigel, aged 42, said: “It has a direct impact. We have a massive influx of customers. It’s great advertising for Bolton town centre.”

He said that people come from all over to attend and he has even stayed in touch with some people he met at the festival over the years.

However, when Nigel found out how much the festival costs the council each year, he was surprised.

Although he was comfortable with the event costing more than it brings in, he said that some of that money could probably be spent elsewhere.

He said: “They can probably spend more on security in the town centre.”

Alain Job of NKono in Bolton Market was disappointed that Bolton Council had more than doubled the rates for stall holders taking part in Bolton Food and Drink Festival this year.

Last year he said he paid around £300 and this year was charged £800 meaning he came away this year with a loss.

Mr Job said: “If we have to spend a lot of money hiring TV chefs then what is happening? The small local chefs are subsidising the big chefs.

“They are going to have to find a way of getting smaller local businesses in. Bolton Food Festival is to promote local food is its diversity in all shapes and forms.”

Mr Job called this year a “washout” because of the rain and said had he been charged the same price as last year he would still have made money.

He said: “In my view the festival is intrinsically linked to this Bolton Market. If a trader can’t make it because of the rate then the council have to say what is it they are trying to promote?

“We had fewer local traders than traders coming from all round because it’s becoming a national festival.”

Mr Job said if the rate stayed at £800 the only local businesses able to afford it would be big names like Greenhalgh’s and Carrs.

He said: “They can afford it, smaller people like me aren’t going to be able to afford it, that will be it. You find yourself with less than £50 after four days of hard work.”

He added: “I have no problem if there’s only pastry representing the food of Bolton but that’s not reflective of what’s available in Bolton.”

Mr Job, who is known for his larger-than-life personality and tasty Cameroonian dishes, wished the council had asked him for feedback on his experience at the festival.

This was the fourth year Mr Job has manned a stall at the festival and said he was disappointed with the turnout in Le Mans Crescent where he was put, saying: “They said I could trade until 10pm but after 7.30pm there was hardly any business coming.

“We have no way of giving them feedback, maybe they will send letters they need the feedback so they can design it better next year. ”

Dirk Bach travels to the festival from Ashton-in-Makerfield to serve Spanish tapas as street food from his Solsolet stall in Victoria Square.

Dirk and his wife moved from Barcelona where they served tapas for 25 years. He said: “The festival is one of the nicest we have in our agenda over the year. We are always keen and waiting.”

Dirk said that it is now one of the biggest and the best of its kind in the country.

He said: “The quality has gone up, the quantity of visitors has gone up. The quality of the market is absolutely to the top.”

nSignature Scones is run by Julie and Adrian Ryding, also from Wigan, who served homemade scones and cream teas at a stall in Newport Street.

The couple travel to food events from Cumbria to Worcester between March and December every year, but say that the Bolton festival is on a par with the best in the country.

Adrian, aged 46, said: “The beauty is that it’s free, which means a higher footfall. We’ve seen that increase in trade.”

He said that neither he nor his wife would ever come to Bolton if it was not for the food and drink festival, but the couple now attract their regular customers from outside the town to visit Bolton for the event.

He said: “Certainly, things have got better and better.”

Mark White, owner of the newly opened MarLeys cafe, in Newport Street, said he had hoped the festival would help to drum up some business for him, but was surprised when it was actually quieter than usual.

He said: “We took less money on the Friday and the Saturday than we usually would have done.

“It’s a fantastic event but it didn’t do us any favours as a business.

“It was our first year so we were hoping for big things but that didn’t happen.”

Erfa Mohamed owns the Newsbox, in Newport Street, he says he enjoys the festival but that the poor weather conditions on Sunday had heavily effected his business.

He said: “Saturday was OK, it was a little quieter than usual for us but not too bad. But, Sunday was a washout. Usually, it’s really busy but it was the weather that killed it for us.”

David Howells, from the Cumbrian Pie Company, said: "This is my fourth year here. It is always very well organised and attracts a great crowd. Along with Christmas markets, this is the best and most profitable event we do all year.”

Lee and Anita Thorpe, of Red Bank Cider, said: “It’s a fantastic event. We’re a local family business and we’re keen to support a local event that is enjoyed by the people of Bolton and the rest of the North West.”