Lymington Seafood Festival to return this summer with a new fine dining restaurant experience led by celebrity chef Alex Aitken

LYMINGTON’s popular seafood festival is set to return this summer with a new fine dining restaurant experience led by celebrity chef Alex Aitken.

The three-day event at the town’s Bath Road recreation ground will run from 14th to 16th July, featuring top local chefs and producers, dozens of street food stalls, live music and charity partnerships.

New to this year’s festival is a dining experience at Alex’s Kitchen, a pop-up restaurant led by former Michelin-starred executive chef at The Jetty restaurant and Harbour Hotels.

Alex’s festival menu has been curated to showcase the best seasonal produce from land and sea to create a unique dining experience blending classic cooking techniques with the theatre of a giant American barbecue smoker.

The banquet will begin with an array of colourful starters including lobster thermdor cheese souffle, crispy crab arancini, octopus stuffed piquillo peppers and pan seared garlic scallops.

Main course delights will include surf ‘n’ turf, locally caught chargrilled lobster and hot smoked Loch Duhart salmon. There is also a fresh seafood counter, taken straight from the boats at Mudeford Quay and grilled to perfection.

Finally, dessert choices will include New Forest fruits eaton mess and a carefully selected cheeseboard featuring local and regional artisan producers.

Alex’s passion for seafood began as a young trawlerman, giving him unparallel knowledge of the ocean’s produce. His commitment to using seasonal and local ingredients is a philosophy that has stood the test of time for almost five decades.

Having opened his first restaurant, Le Poussin, in 1983, Alex’s journey saw him claim a coveted Michelin star in 1995. His move to Harbour Hotels and The Jetty led to him scooping the National Seafood Restaurant of the Year in 2016, followed by The Times Best Seafood Restaurants in the UK in 2018.

Alex said: “The New Forest and Hampshire is blessed with some of the country’s best local produce and we’ve created a menu that showcases the freshest seafood and seasonal dishes.

“We’ll be using a blend of traditional fine dining cooking and having a bit of fun and theatre with a giant barbecue and smoker.

“The Lymington Seafood Festival has become one of the south’s leading boutique food festivals – myself and the team are looking forward to providing a dining experience that foodies will love.”

Hailed as a top local showcase featuring many of the very best Hampshire producers, the event will also offer dozens of street food options such as local lobster, soft shell crab, scallops, mussels, barbecued monkfish, Nordic ‘flammlach’ hot smoked salmon, seafood tacos, crispy squid, cockle popcorn, paella, seabass and oysters.

Organisers are promising that meat lovers, vegetarians and those with a sweet tooth will also be well looked after.

Attendees can also sample top craft ales, local gins and rums, and even award-winning bubbles from Hattingley Valley. Lymington’s own Monkey Brewhouse will also be producing a limited edition festival ale.

Live music is on the agenda throughout the festival, with a Tina Turner tribute act taking the stage on Saturday night. Other bands and artists will be featured throughout the weekend performing an eclectic mix of blues, soul, rag time, electro pop and cheesy covers.

This year, a second acoustic stage will shine a spotlight on local and up-and-coming talent, and street performers will be roaming among the crowds.

The event is set to partner with Oakhaven Hospice by hosting an online auction with a mouth-watering array of culinary goodies and experiences.

In an effort to reduce waste, single use plastics are not permitted on site and reusable pint cups will be on sale for £1 each, with 50% going to support Oakhaven Hospice.

Seafood Festival spokesperson Domine Nowell said: “We are looking forward to welcoming Oakhaven Hospice as this year’s charity partner and would like to thank all the New Forest-based businesses for their generous support in providing some amazing prizes in our online auction.

“Many of us will have witnessed the work and end-of-life care the team at Oakhaven Hospice provide, so please dig deep and help support them.”

Tickets are priced £6 for adults and under 16s go free. To find out more or to book, visit www.lymingtonseafoodfestival.co.uk