EAT! NewcastleGateshead event boosts visitor figures at National Trust property Gidside
4th July 2011
Categories: Latest News
MORE than 3,500 visitors made their way to National Trust property Gibside on Sunday 26 June 2011 as part of EAT! NewcastleGateshead, smashing previous attendance figures at the popular tourist attraction.
Cakebook (North), which saw landmark heritage structures from across the North of England and Yorkshire recreated out of cake on a giant edible map, proved such a hit, visitor figures rose by 400% compared with the same day in 2010.
Carol Bell, head of major events at NewcastleGateshead Initiative said: “We’re delighted with the success of Cakebook (North), especially as this is the first time we have held the event at Gibside. In total 3,500 people attended the one day event which, in addition to the edible map, featured live music, picnic food stalls and a food adventure playground for the children.
“Our partner, The National Trust at Gibside, did a great job of hosting Cakebook (North). This year the theme focussed on heritage landmarks across the North East of England and Yorkshire, and we’re currently looking at how we can extend the event with a new theme for next year.”
Emily Bryce, Visitor Services Manager at Gibside said: “Hosting Cakebook (North) has been a great experience for us. We’ve taken part in EAT! NewcastleGateshead in previous years but this was on a whole new scale!
“On the same June Sunday in 2010 we had 700 visitors, but the additional publicity and enticing event activities helped us achieve one of our busiest ever days at Gibside with over 3,500 visitors through the gates. As well as fantastic for raising our profile (many people who attended were first time visitors) we had strong catering and retail results too.”
EAT! NewcastleGateshead is an innovative food and drink festival, created by NewcastleGateshead Initative, that has put North East produce on the map. The ten day festival featured the largest city-based food event in the UK, The Big EAT! (18 & 19 June), 15 Secret Paladares (21-25 June) – restaurants in people’s homes – and The Great North Eco-Art-Feast (Sun 26 June), an epic environmentally-friendly feast celebrating North East chef Hannah Glasse and her legendary cookbook, ‘The Art of Cookery’.
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For further information, interview requests, images etc, please contact David Brookbanks, Media & PR Manager for NewcastleGateshead Initiative on 0191 440 5740 / 07946 581 417 or email david.brookbanks@ngi.org.uk