Accrington Food & Drink Festival generated over £369,000 boost to economy

The 2025 #AmazingAccrington Food & Drink Festival has been hailed a huge success, drawing a crowd of over 8,000 people and injecting an impressive £369,600 into the local economy.

Based on survey data collected from attendees, the average spend per person at the festival was £46.20, up 70 per cent from the average spend in 2023.

The free-to-attend event also proved to be a major family affair, with 89.69 per cent of attendees attending with family members.

Feedback from the public was overwhelmingly positive, with many praising the increased size of the festival, the wide range of food stalls, and the high standard of food and drink on offer.

Despite the less-than-ideal weather, the town centre was buzzing with visitors showing strong support for their community.

Many attendees also highlighted the strong and reassuring police presence, which contributed to a safe and welcoming atmosphere throughout the day.

The event also attracted visitors from far and wide, with 32 per cent of those surveyed attending from outside Hyndburn, while the food festival welcomed 208 first time visitors.

Coun Kimberley Whitehead, Portfolio Holder for Culture, Heritage and Sport, said: "We are absolutely thrilled with the success of the 2025 #AmazingAccrington Food & Drink Festival.

"To see so many families coming into the town, supporting local businesses and generating over £369,000 for our local economy is fantastic.

"The feedback from residents and visitors has been incredibly positive - people felt safe, enjoyed a bigger and better event than ever before, and most importantly, felt proud to be part of this community."

Murray Dawson, chair of #AmazingAccrington and managing director of Scott Dawson Advertising, said: "The incredible turnout and economic impact of this year's Food & Drink Festival shows just how powerful community events can be.

"Although we were concerned on the day about the weather, the research which we carried out found that the spend per head was up 70% from 2023, which is a huge success for the food festival. What is even more rewarding is the positive atmosphere on the day - families enjoying themselves, first-time visitors discovering our town, and local businesses thriving."

Frankie's Café, who transformed into Café René for the day, said: "Another fantastic event organised by #AmazingAccrington. The day was our busiest day since moving from the market hall to our new now permanent home on Broadway. Frankie's Café being renamed Café René for the day was a big hit with customers old and new. Thank you to everyone at #AmazingAccrington."

Sean Mason, from Café Ri-An, said: "A huge thank you to Amazing Accrington for putting on a fantastic event that brought 100s of extra people into town to check out the food festival. Not only that but they couldn't wait to come and check out our pies, sausage rolls and fresh food. What an amazing day full of amazing people and a big thank you from all the Team at Cafe Ri-An."

Lee Brown, from stallholder The Handcrafted Pie Company, said: "It was an incredible experience! We were overwhelmed by the support at the food festival and are thrilled to have sold out! The community's enthusiasm made it a truly unforgettable event."

The 2025 festival has firmly cemented its place as a highlight in the Lancashire events calendar, and organisers are already looking ahead to making 2026 even bigger and better.

The festival was sponsored by Hyndburn Borough Council, North Lancs Training Group and Financial Affairs, with event management by Scott Dawson Advertising.

For more coverage of the festival, visit the #AmazingAccrington social media channels or the #AmazingAccrington website: https://www.amazingaccrington.co.uk/