KENDAL’S Festival of Food, the annual two day event which celebrates the finest food and drink from across the North of England, has enjoyed its best ever year.

Based on independent research, conducted over the festival's weekend in March, consultants have calculated that this year’s festival generated more than £1.5m in terms of visitor spending in and around Kendal.

It estimated that around 23,000 people attended the event, an increase of 28 per cent year-on-year.

Research also indicates a high proportion of visitors were attending the festival for the first time, and that 47 per cent of festival-goers were drawn from outside South Lakeland.

In terms of returning to South Lakeland, 97 per cent of visitors from outside Cumbria stated they would visit the district again.

Cath Dutton, organiser of the festival, said: “These findings reflect the buzz and excitement we felt during the festival and we could sense it was busier just by walking through the town.

“However, what’s particularly pleasing is see the festival bringing in people from outside the district who haven’t been to Kendal before, and to hear that they plan to return in the future."

Matt Williams from Invest in South Lakeland, the council-run programme which encourages business growth, investment and promotes the district’s lifestyle offer, said: “Delivering high quality events which appeal to new visitors are crucial to South Lakeland’s economy and we are delighted that the Festival of Food is going from strength to strength.

“It also gives the region the chance to showcase its excellent food and beverage producers, which is one of our strongest business sectors.

“In addition, it helps to spread the word about the unrivalled quality of life we have to offer, which is a key driver for any individual or business considering re-location.”

The research was conducted by Red Research, and was based on over 300 face-to-face interviews at the 2015 festival.