PICTURES: Dorset Seafood Festival 2023 in Weymouth

The Dorset Seafood Festival, also known as Seafest, is an annual event held in Weymouth. 

This year it served more than 60 seafood dishes and took place on both Saturday and Sunday.

Attendees enjoyed live chef demos, delicious seafood, wine tastings, beer pairings, wine and live music.

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Saturday enjoyed big crowds, likely due to the fantastic sunny weather. Sunday, meanwhile, typically has a more local crowd and had some early showers before the sun came out just before noon.

Lee Campbell is no seafood fanatic but decided to go out of her comfort zone and try some things she would usually avoid.

Lee said: "I don't usually eat fish at all but I have tried quite a bit, some of it I would eat again.

"We are definitely coming again. The kids get in free and the food is priced well. I would recommend it to families."

James Hughes visited from Poole and it was his first time at the event.

He said: "It is awesome. Great turnout and lots of variety.

"I have had the lobster mac and cheese, lobster croquettes and mackerel ice cream. I am going to have some crab samosas next."

Terri Hockley attended with her husband Peter and two children.

Her children were looking forward to trying the muscles and the lobster mac and cheese.

She said: "Things are spaced out really well and they have given enough seating."

For children, there was a cookery school hosted by Weymouth College's The Avenue Restaurant and a kids' craft area by Weyart.

Anna Hamblin regularly attends the festival with her son Henry.

She said: "Henry has done the cooking class and made an avocado, crab and cress creation. It is really good to get kids involved because then he was happy to watch a cooking demonstration."

Dave Down attended with his family. He came all the way from the Isle of Sheppey in Kent for the festival.

He said: "It is good. We were here yesterday so we have only three stalls left to do."

A new feature this year was the English Wine Garden. It featured plantlife from Goulds Garden Centre and wines from several local suppliers in Dorset.

Seafest director Sophie Kermani thinks that the festival has seen record attendance. She said: "The weather has helped; Saturday was insane.

"We have had record sales on both of the days and record numbers coming through the doors. Last year we had 8,500 people over the weekend and this year will be more, probably 10,000.

"We did a social impact survey after last year's festival and we brought in over £3m to the local economy last year."

Sophie Kermani (Image: Cristiano Magaglio)

The event will raise funds for The Fishermen’s Mission, and help to raise awareness of ocean health. Past events have raised more than £90,000 for the charity.