The council has officially taken on the running of the successful food showcase from CN Events, part of media company Newsquest Cumbria.

Taste Cumbria was started in Cockermouth in 2010 as an event designed to boost the town following the devastating 2009 floods with CN Events taking on its management in 2012.

The ever-popular event has become the county’s biggest annual food and drink festival with the flagship festival in Cockermouth seeing local shops, restaurants and chefs coming together for a weekend of culinary celebrations.

Last year, the event generated a footfall of 40,000, contributing almost £3m to the local economy.

The council is also taking on the running of the Northbound event, a free music festival which has taken place in Cockermouth town centre for the last three years and was also launched by CN Events.

More details about what is planned for the events in the future will be released in due course, but the council can confirm it has decided to run Northbound on the same weekend as Taste Cumbria this year. Previously Northbound took place in August.

The new joint event will take place on September 27 to 29.

The council has worked closely with CN Events over the years to help run the festivals and has previously funded both events. By taking the events in-house, the council feels it can make better use of that investment.

The announcement coincides with the appointment of the council’s own in-house events manager, Anna Chippendale, as part of the authority’s commitment to supporting festivals and events in borough.

Anna said: “We are delighted to be taking over the Taste Cumbria and Northbound festivals. Both are fantastic events which are not only great days out for locals and visitors alike, but provide a vital economic boost for business. 

“We thank CN Events for the work they have done in establishing them and we want to build on that success by putting our own stamp on the festivals. We look forward to sharing our plans as they develop.”

The amalgamation of the two events will enhance both festivals and ensure that both the retail businesses and the town’s nighttime economy benefit from the same event.

Cllr Mark Jenkinson, deputy leader and Executive member for economic growth, said: “The Taste Cumbria and Northbound events have been brilliant additions to Allerdale’s offering over the last few years and have contributed a lot towards the economy and visitor experience.

“As a council we’re fully committed to supporting all kinds of events and it’s great we can bring these festivals in house and we are excited about their futures and the impact they can have on the local community.”

Newsquest will continue its relationship with Taste Cumbria by becoming its official media partner.

Lee Taylor-Craddock, sales director at Newsquest Cumbria, said: “We are pleased to be continuing our partnership with Allerdale Borough Council on these two fantastic events, in the capacity of media partner.

“Both the Taste and Northbound festivals are hugely popular and are a key highlight in the Cumbria events calendar. We are delighted Allerdale Borough Council will now take these forward.

“We believe events such as these are hugely important to the local economy and residents, not to mention the audiences they attract from outside Cumbria, which results in strong visitor numbers each year. Newsquest Cumbria reaches over 70 per cent of the local population; we will continue to support the promotion and coverage of these events via our print, online and social channels to ensure their popularity continues to thrive.” 

Find out more about the Taste Cumbria food festival in Cockermouth.