AN educational fishing trip in Morecambe Bay has helped staff from a Cumbria based hotel group to land the perfect catch for a Seafood Festival this weekend.

English Lakes Hotels Resorts & Venues general manager Mark Needham and head chef Michael Wilson joined licensed shrimp and cockle expert Frank Benson to learn about protecting, growing and harvesting cockles before the group netted a catch of Morecambe Bay shrimps for the festival.

The success of the North West hotel group’s inaugural summer Seafood Festival last year has led to a second, extended event at the hotel on Morecambe’s waterfront.

MORE TOP STORIES:

The Seafood Sunset Festival on Saturday evening has already sold out with over 120 guests attending to enjoy a marquee of food and drink stalls, as well as live music from popular local cover band Raising Arizona and Keith Mitchell’s Acoustic Jukebox.

Activities from 11am on Sunday include a seafood and farmers market at the hotel, a Laurent Perrier champagne and oyster bar, artisan gin bar, craft beer bar, seafood stalls and live entertainment from the Steven Wren quartet.

“This was a fascinating fishing trip with Frank Benson giving us a real insight into sustainable fisheries management and the importance of protecting our coastal ecosystems to get best produce and value from your catch,” explains Mark Needham, general manager from The Midland Hotel.

“The Benson family’s fishing expertise goes back three generations and Frank showed us not only how to locate cockle beds but also when you can legally harvest them and which – usually the four and five year old shellfish – are the prime ones for picking.

“As well as our own catch of Morecambe Bay shrimps, we’ve ordered 1,000 Colchester oysters for the festival, dressed crab and Atlantic prawns which guests can wash down with a glass of fine champagne.  We’re looking forward to a highly enjoyable weekend for hotel guests and visitors from across the region.”

The Seafood Festival will also include hands-on displays from The Midland Hotel’s Sun Terrace, with Smokey Jo’s giving demonstrations on smoking fish and meats and Frank Benson showing visitors how to prepare delicious seafood dishes.

For reservations at the Midland or to find out more about the Seafood Festival, call 0330 4042 674 or 01524 424 000.