The first ever Menai Seafood Festival will be held this summer. The Festival will be staged in Menai Bridge on Saturday 31 August and will showcase the variety and quality of seafood available along the shores of the Menai Straits.

The one-day event will also promote the local fishing industry and celebrate the area’s maritime heritage.

As well as demonstration tents and a local produce market, there will be a whole host of activities from presentations about local fisheries and conservation, to kids’ activities, street art and craft, and live music.

One of the Festival organisers, David Evans from Dylan’s Restaurant said: “The purpose of this event is to bring together local fishermen, farmers and producers to display the amazing variety of seafood and other produce that we have on our doorstep. We also want to attract local people and visitors to learn about the rich culture and heritage that surround the Menai Straits. The Festival will be a family event and will be a welcome boost for the local economy.”

Festival sponsors and partners include Isle of Anglesey Council, Bangor University’s School of Ocean Sciences and Magnox. The event has also secured support from the local business community and representatives from Dylan’s Restaurant, Anglesey Sea Zoo, Anglesey Arms and Waitrose among others are heavily involved in organising the day.

Iwan Huws, Head of Tourism for Isle of Anglesey Council said: “The most effective way of drawing new or additional visitors to the Island is through the development of events. These events need to capitalise on the key strengths of the Island which are Anglesey’s natural beauty, outdoor activities and increasingly, its local produce.

“We are very pleased to be able to support this new seafood festival in Menai Bridge as an integral part of destination management and marketing and we have recently adopted a new Events Strategy for Anglesey which emphasises the importance of such events to the local economy.”