Fishstock Brixham Seafood & Music festival
19th September 2017
More than 3,000 seafood and music lovers braved heavy showers to attend the annual Fishstock Brixham festival on Saturday when locally caught seafood was promoted to a wide audience in support of the Fishermen’s Mission.
Above: High volumes of fresh fish, donated by local boats, were sold on a constantly busy Brixham Trawler Agents stand. (Photo: SHOTBYROB.COM)
The weather meant attendance numbers were slightly down on previous years, but the rain could not dampen the atmosphere, which was electric, with a fantastic line-up of 22 bands playing to packed audiences on both the FalFish Acoustic and Coombe Fisheries main stage from 11am until midnight, with many festival-goers staying to dance late into the night.
Teams from South Devon College’s ‘Food is Fun’, and ‘VIP Chefs on Stage’ both demonstrated fabulous culinary skills from morning to evening, with the seafood demonstration kitchens drawing large crowds, keen to learn the secrets of handling and preparing the fresh fish for which Brixham is rightly famous. Customers were able to ‘buy to try at home’ from the dazzling display of fresh fish (kindly donated by local trawler skippers) on the Brixham Trawler Agents stand, which sold a record amount, with all profits going to the Festival charity, The Fishermen’s Mission.
A delicious choice of locally-produced hot and cold food and drinks were on offer throughout the day, meaning those seeking something to help weather the showers were well catered for!
Numerous craft, charity and retail stalls in the covered market area offered a wide range of goods and information, and families enjoyed performances on the main stage between music acts, including the Pauline Quirke Performing Arts Academy, and Zumba and Bollywood dancers!
In addition, Star Wars Stormtroopers and UK Garrison characters, the Grimbles Tree Folk, Brixham pirate Cap’n Blackheart and the Band from the Moor Buskers played around the festival site, mingling with the crowds.
Spokesman for Fishstock Brixham, Jim Portus, said: “We knew in advance we would have a challenging day (given the poor weather forecast), but the townspeople and visitors to Brixham are stoic, and support their favourite charity come rain or shine! I’m sure we will once again have raised many thousands of pounds to add to the £76,000 raised so far over the nine-year life of the Festival, and this year’s total will enable new Fishermen’s Mission superintendent Matt Skinner to continue to deliver vital support to fishermen in distress and their families.
“Our thanks go to the many people who make Fishstock happen; the exhibitors and performers giving up their time and talents, the wonderful Fishstock Committee volunteers who work hard throughout the year to plan the event and bring it to fruition, and the many more who help on the day, manning the gate and assisting around the unique festival site.”
Read more from Fishing News here.
