Festival cups overflow

Press, 25 January 1988, Page 3

Festival cups overflow

Blenheim reporter Overseas visitors might travel to New Zealand especially for the Marlborough Wine and Food Festival in years to come, according to a former chairman of the festival committee. “This is just the start,” said Mr Bill Floyd. He said the response to the festival had been phenomenal. The crowd had more than doubled that of last year.

People had not come from overseas this year especially for the festival, but “I think in two or three years time it will become an event in its own right.” Mr Floyd said that Marlborough was outperforming the rest of New Zealand with its wine, salmon, cherries and garlic. The general manager of' the Marlborough Cheese Co-operative, Mr Angus

Campbell, said the only thing Marlborough needed now was a small brewery. Organisers of the festival had expected a crowd of 8000. Adult visitors had to buy a glass at the gate, but by 2 p;m. organisers had sold the 6000 special festival glasses they had. Official plastic cups used for wine tasting were then handed out. The chairman of the festival committee, Mr

Malcolm Aitken, said the festival proved that people could have a fun day out that was not too expensive. The turnover for the day was sl2o,ooo—about $lO for each person. There would be some profit left after the display holders were reimbursed, and the outstanding debts from last year’s festival were paid, he said. That would be put away for next year’s festival.