Fish and Ships Festival to return to Whitby
A weekend long celebration of Whitby's maritime and fishing heritage will be back next month
A weekend long celebration of Whitby’s maritime and fishing heritage and the people who keep it alive today will take place next month.
The Fish & Ships Festival drops anchor in the town on 24th September and 25th September.
The event will showcase Whitby’s strong seafaring traditions and modern day practices through food, music, art, craft and industry tours, with a special focus on conservation.
What will be happening?
From catch to plate, the story of fresh fish and seafood will be told by the proud families that source it and the celebrity chefs who champion it in mouth-watering dishes, including Jean-Christophe Novelli MBE and Yorkshire’s own Brian Turner CBE.
Paul Gildroy, head chef of Whitby’s Magpie Café - National Geographic Magazine best fish & chips restaurant in the country - will take part in a special demonstration with Andrew Barker of Hodgson Fishmongers in the harbour side food village.
Alongside many other talented individuals who put Whitby on the ‘foodie map’, Andrew Barker, MFS Blocksman of the Year, will sharpen his knives and show off his first class fileting skills, shining a spotlight on the specialist art of fish and seafood preparation.
Whitby will host street art, including work by local school children, and there will be sounds of sea shanties by some of the country’s top maritime musicians.
Internationally renowned Yorkshire sculptor artist, Emma Stothard, who has British Royalty on her customer list, has been commissioned to make one of her famous giant wire sculptures of a ‘silver darling’, or herring.
The finished sculpture will take centre stage at the festival’s Friday night premiere performance of Silver Darlings by Richard Grainger, a brand new sea-musical show telling the story of a young Whitby herring-girl at the turn of the 20th century.
Whitby’s new Lobster Hatchery, a marine conservation project and visitor attraction due to open later this year, will offer guided tours to give people a sneak preview of their operations.
The hatchery, which is supported by many of the local seafood restaurants, aims to put 100,000 juvenile lobsters into the sea each year to replace those landed for UK and European markets.
Children will be well entertained throughout the town with walkabout acts, face painting and balloon making as well as seafaring themed activities and workshops at Captain Cook Museum, Whitby Library and Pannett Art Gallery.
Elsewhere in the town, festival goers will be able to see how fishing nets and lobster pots are kept in tip top condition and take a tour of a boat manufacturing yard, run by Parkol Marine.
Whitby Museum will show a special film showing Whitby in the 1950s.
From their base on the east side of the harbour, the volunteers of Whitby RNLI will recount the many North Sea rescues they and their lifeboats have taken part in.
The full programme for the 2022 Whitby Fish & Ships Festival can be viewed at the Discover Yorkshire Coast website.
Janet Deacon, Scarborough Borough Council head of tourism and culture, said:
“This fabulous festival shines a light on Whitby’s impressive maritime industry, from the town’s seafaring ancestors who paved the way, to those who are the backbone of today’s fish and shellfish industry and all those who enjoy their wonderful produce.
“The weekend is a must for anyone, whether local or from further afield, who wants to experience the true sights, smells, sounds and tastes of Whitby.”
Councillor Jim Grieve, Scarborough Borough Council cabinet member for quality of life, added:
“Not only is Whitby a stunning location, its strong cultural offering, fishing heritage and provenance for great food from a proper working harbour are a winning combination that keep people coming back to the town time and time again.
“The Fish & Ships Festival will celebrate all these attributes and much more in a family friendly autumn weekend not to be missed.”