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This year’s award-winning Nyetimber Dorset Seafood Festival will be held at Weymouth peninsula over the weekend of the 11th and 12th September. The Festival celebrates the excellent variety of seafood available in Dorset and the South West and brings together talented chefs, fishermen, and producers. Organisers have spent the past 12 months carefully planning the 2021 Festival, bringing back much-loved favourites but also developing new features. The first of these to be announced is the ‘School of Fish’ a ‘Pop Up’ cookery school for children brought by The Food Teachers Centre and supported by the Fishmongers’ Company and their Fisheries Charitable Trust. The ‘School of Fish’ is available to pre-book for children attending the Festival with their parents – booking details can be found below.

For the first time, Simon Gray, of the Food Teachers Centre is bringing the ‘Fish in School Hero’ programme out of the classroom and into the Festival and we are excited to have their team join the Festival line-up!  Simon is developing a programme with around 8 sessions per day, designed to help children learn how to cook and enjoy fish as part of a balanced diet.   Children under 8 must be accompanied by an adult, and spaces are available for pre-booking.  Depending on age, participants will learn how to prepare anything from mackerel pate to Megrim curry with flatbread – dishes to be confirmed.

Simon Gray commented: “We are thrilled to have this platform at the Nyetimber Dorset Seafood Festival, the Food Teachers Centre supported by the Fishmongers’ Company’s Fisheries Charitable Trust are promoting the ‘Fish in School Hero programme’, encouraging school aged children to prepare, cook and eat fish. Many adults still find cooking with fish a little overwhelming. It is so important for fish to be eaten as part of a balanced diet and I look forward to speaking with the children in September to help them understand the benefits of doing so”.

Fish provides high-quality protein, vitamins and minerals and is a great source of healthy fats that are essential for a child’s developing brain, nervous system and vision. The Festival aims to highlight not only how to cook fish but also the huge benefits of eating responsibly sourced fish.

Laura Avant, Festival Director commented: “A cooking school for children is something we have wanted to do for a long time. We are delighted to have this new feature at the Festival for 2021, as a mum of two primary school children I know only too well how much kids enjoy getting their hands dirty in the kitchen, and many parents themselves need tips when it comes to cooking fish. We hope this new feature will help encourage children to get confident preparing fish and enjoy showing their mums and dads just how simple it can be.”

With demonstration chefs performing across two stages, live music and fabulous street food, organisers are excited to bring this new initiative to the Festival and look forward to announcing more features over the coming months. Stands and sponsor opportunities are still available: please contact the team at stands@dorsetseafood.co.uk for more information.

The Festival is one of the most celebrated weekends in Weymouth’s event calendar and helps to raise money for The Fishermen’s Mission; the only fishermen’s charity that provides emergency support alongside practical and emotional care.

To ensure the safety of festival-goers this year, entry to the Festival will be by ticket only.  Tickets are limited and are £10 for adults. Children under 16 go free with any paying adult; secure your place at this summer’s seafood extravaganza at www.dorsetseafood.co.uk/book/. Once you have booked your tickets, book your child’s place on the ‘School of Fish’ cookery workshop here: www.dorsetseafood.co.uk/school/.