Maryport waterfront becomes a food-and-music draw

demoduck.co.uk editorial team 2026-08-12 15:56 3 min read

Many people sit on a grassy field in front of a row of white tents.

By demoduck.co.uk Editorial Team
12 August 2026 | Source: Cumberland Council News

Maryport’s waterfront drew thousands of visitors over the weekend as the town’s sixth Taste Cumbria festival brought cooking demonstrations, local producers, live music and family attractions across two event spaces.

The Harbourside Event Space hosted The Teenage Market, an acoustic stage and the Demo Stage, where around 200 people watched television chef Rosemary Shrager prepare seafood pasta. On Marine Road Showfield, visitors found the Producers’ Market, street food, fairground rides, family activities and a Main Stage programme spanning rock, pop and sea shanties.

A waterfront weekend built around food and performance

Taste Cumbria Maryport spread activity between the harbour and the showfield, giving visitors different reasons to stay in town through the day and into the evening. The Maryport Round Table charity beer and rum bar was busy throughout the weekend, while pubs across the town also staged live music into the night.

The festival coincided with the Maryport Classic Car and Vintage Vehicle Show, adding another attraction away from the food stalls and stages. For readers who followed Maryport’s festival programme before the event, the council’s recap points to strong footfall despite rain on Sunday.

Cumberland Council’s Assistant Director of Thriving Places, Michael Barry, said Saturday was “absolutely packed”, with traders reporting particularly strong sales. He said the attendance could have approached a record had the weather remained dry on Sunday.

Local cooks and producers took centre stage

Shrager’s seafood pasta demonstration was one of the weekend’s most visible food events. The chef also visited stalls and, according to the council, told organisers she would like to return.

Maryport waterfront becomes a food-and-music draw

The programme also put Cumbrian food businesses in front of a large local audience. Contributors included Underscar Winery, Raven Nest café and cocktail bar in Whitehaven, and chef John Crouch, a regular Taste Cumbria participant.

Maryport’s Stuart Eve, of Maryport Born and Bread, appeared with Raf Asboth from the Panda Polish Shop. Their session focused on sourdough before serving an internationally inspired meal. That mix of demonstrations and producer stalls gave smaller local businesses a role alongside visiting culinary names.

Festival spending supports Maryport’s wider economy

Cumberland Council said its Taste Cumbria events generated about £6 million for the local economy last year, with nearly £2 million attributed to the Maryport festival. The figures underline why the event is designed as more than a waterfront day out: traders, town-centre pubs, food businesses and community groups all shared in the weekend’s activity.

The event was organised by Cumberland Council, with Maryport Town Council as main sponsor. Additional funding came from The Captain Nelson Tavern, Maryport Storage, Grants Oak Smoked, Shane Taylor Welding and Milburns Solicitors.

The next Taste Cumbria festival is scheduled for Cockermouth on 26 and 27 September, followed by Taste Cumbria Christmas on 5 and 6 December.

Source: Cumberland Council News

Context & actions About this article

Source check Source trail

This report is based on Cumberland Council’s published recap of the sixth Taste Cumbria festival in Maryport.

Checks

Confirmed the reported venue areas: Harbourside Event Space and Marine Road Showfield.
Checked the named chefs, food businesses and community participants against the council re...
Used the council’s stated attendance description and local-economy figures with attributio...
Confirmed the next published Taste Cumbria dates for Cockermouth and the Christmas event.

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