Sizzling success: Gloucester Quays summer food festival draws over 50,000 people
Peel Retail & Leisure is celebrating another successful summer Food Festival at the top 10 UK outlet, Gloucester Quays, with this year’s event seeing more than 50,000 people attend and showcasing over 160 stalls from local vendors.
Held in the historic Docks and Quays, the free Festival served up a range of food demos, pop-up bars, street food, and live music. Celebrity host Chris Bavin returned to host at the Cookery Theatre, joined by Phil Vickery from ITV’s This Morning, celebrity chef Cyrus Todiwala, and Great British Bake Off 2024 winner Georgie Grasso and finalist Christiaan De Vries. The Fire BBQ Stage also hosted live cooking demonstrations from the LumberjAxe team. Outside of the cooking, there was also entertainment, including craft stalls and fun activities for children and families. Since 2013, the Gloucester Quays Food Festival has become a key fixture in the region’s calendar and a standout highlight of Gloucester Quays’ role as a crossover destination.
Owen Acland, Centre Manager of Gloucester Quays, commented: “This summer’s Food Festival saw great attendance of over 50,000 despite the changeable weather, proof of how highly it’s valued across the region. From celebrity chefs like Phil Vickery and Cyrus Todiwala to exciting new features such as the LumberjAxe team at our Fire BBQ stage. Its success reflects the thriving community we’ve built here, as we cater to visitors from just around the corner and far beyond. Again, it’s a staple in our calendar that has truly enhanced the centre’s appeal, serving as an annual reminder of our waterside environment that means we can host a vibrant year-round programme of events.”
The Gloucester Quays Food Festival follows the recent news that year-to-date sales are up by 2.2% at the outlet. This comes as Peel Retail & Leisure has recorded a bumper period of sales performance at Gloucester Quays, with total sales from the outlet’s current tenants up by 6% covering April 2024 to March 2025.