Bella Scarr is the Executive Producer of the Aldeburgh Food & Drink Festival, which celebrates its 20th anniversary next weekend. Here, Bella explains why the celebration of Suffolk’s finest food and drink will be extra special this year
Who are you and what do you do?
I’m Bella, I run a specialist project management company and have delivered the Aldeburgh Food and Drink Festival for the past four years.
What led you to becoming Executive Producer of the Aldeburgh Food and Drink Festival – and what does your job involve?
My career has been mainly focused on arts-based projects in the music, film and advertising industries, but I had always wanted to work in food. I’ve been a passionate foodie since I can remember, and it seemed like my project management skills would work in a food event/production setting. Then this role came along and it was perfect.
The Executive Producer role is really varied. The first half of the year is spent fundraising – we’re a not-for-profit and need to raise £230k+ to run the event and support the producers; then the second half of the year is all about curating, recruiting, producing and delivering. Everything you can think of from marketing to celebrity chefs, bookkeeping to decorations, that’s all part of my role.
How would you describe the festival to someone who has never been?
The festival is a not-for-profit organisation, working to raise the profile of Suffolk as a food and drink destination to people and businesses who may not be aware of the unique talents that make our region special. All the 130+ food and drink producers trading are from East Anglia, and the quality and variety is exceptional. We’re one of the only festivals to champion local on this scale (approximately 12k visitors over the weekend) whilst making it feel like a real all-day festival of activities. We have live chef demos, masterclasses, children’s workshops, live music, DJs, street food, a mini craft beer festival, a symposium of talks… The list goes on!
Is it the best food and drink festival out there, in your opinion?
Absolutely. No question! Pierre Koffmann said it’s the festival not to miss. And Ben Tish said it was the best he’s been to with an indie-authentic style that others are missing.
The festival celebrates its 20th anniversary this year – how has it evolved over the past two decades, would you say?
It was much smaller 20 years ago, but the ethos was the same: to celebrate and champion Suffolk’s food and drink community and ecosystem, and to promote Suffolk as a great food and drink destination. Each year it’s grown to include more activities, variety and entertainment. Now I’d say it’s a festival you can spend all day at with the whole family.
Are you planning anything special for this year’s festival?
Yes, we’re really celebrating our 20th year. We’ve squeezed in more producers than ever; we’ve organised a mini craft beer festival (with branded reusable festival cups!); we’re hosting a Symposium of talks including Jay Rayner’s national tour; and we even have a live samba band and ceilidh band! All this on top of all our usual activities.
Are you looking forward to another 20 years of the festival?
100%. We are passionate about keeping this going. More than ever, we’re finding it difficult to raise the money needed to run the event, but it’s so important to all the traders that attend so we need to do everything we can to keep it going. Each ticket purchased, each sponsor’s support, each entry fee paid, is a contribution that helps us cover the costs of the festival and ensures we can continue to support Suffolk’s local producers for years to come.
The 20th Aldeburgh Food and Drink Festival returns to Snape Maltings on Saturday September 27 and Sunday September 28. Visit aldeburghfoodanddrink.co.uk and follow on Instagram.
Featured image of Bella Scarr and other images by @wearepineagency
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