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A CULINARY ADVENTURE IN BORDEAUX: LIVERPOOL CITY REGION’S FOOD SCENE TAKES THE STAGE

Roz Lloyd, Marketing Manager, Marketing Liverpool, at Bordeaux Fete le Vin 2024

Roz Lloyd, Marketing Manager, Marketing Liverpool, at Bordeaux Fete le Vin 2024

By Roz Lloyd, Marketing Manager at Marketing Liverpool

From the 27-30 June 2024, I had the incredible honour of representing Liverpool City Region, alongside the team at Marketing Liverpool, at the prestigious Bordeaux Fête le Vin – an international culinary festival celebrating the best of Bordeaux’s gastronomy and culture.

As the guest city, Liverpool brought its unique blend of culture, music, sport, and, of course, culinary excellence to the heart of Bordeaux. This event was not just a showcase; it was an opportunity to position Liverpool City Region on the global stage as a must-visit culinary destination.

The Liverpool City Region Exhibition Stand at Bordeaux Fete le Vin 2024

The Liverpool City Region Exhibition Stand at Bordeaux Fête le Vin 2024

THE INVITATION AND PREPARATION

Liverpool’s invitation as the guest city at Bordeaux Fête le Vin 2024 is testament to our growing reputation as a prime destination for ‘foodie’ travellers to put high on their itinerary. It also follows a prestigious accolade from Time Out who recently named Liverpool as one of the best cities in the world to visit for a food and drink experience – of which Lyon also made the list – making Liverpool and France a perfect culinary pairing.

Our relationship with Bordeaux dates back to 2016, which progressed into us collaborating on the inaugural ‘Taste Liverpool. Drink Bordeaux’ festival in 2022, to great success. This year, supported by Culture Liverpool, we meticulously planned our guest city participation at Bordeaux Fête le Vin to ensure it would be just as productive and impactful.

The Liverpool City Region Exhibition Stand at Bordeaux Fête le Vin 2024

The Liverpool City Region Exhibition Stand at Bordeaux Fête le Vin 2024

VISITBRITIAN AND BEYOND

Our collaboration with VisitBritain and the GREAT campaign has been truly groundbreaking, further enhancing our strong working relationship with the team. Emboldened by this success, Marketing Liverpool are now more eager than ever to continue building on this partnership.

The partnership aims for this project were to position Liverpool as the first stop for visitors to the UK before they explore London, the Lake District, Scotland, and beyond. This fresh perspective has already garnered excellent coverage in the French press, and we’ve engaged with several influential content creators to amplify our message from the Bordeaux region.

Liverpool City Region at Bordeaux Fête le Vin: Promotional artwork, designed by Marketing Liverpool.

Liverpool City Region at Bordeaux Fête le Vin: Promotional artwork, designed by Marketing Liverpool.

 

THE LIVERPOOL STAND: A HUB OF EXCITEMENT

At the heart of the festival was the Liverpool City Region stand, expertly designed by Marketing Liverpool’s brilliant design team, who created a vibrant hub that captured the essence of the region, with a self-led gallery, which you can see below.

Greeting visitors, I was thrilled to see their curiosity and excitement. We showcased our region’s rich maritime heritage, its thriving music scene, and our ever-evolving culinary landscape and sporting achievements. Visitors were encouraged to participate in a competition to win the ultimate trip to Liverpool City Region, adding an extra layer of excitement to proceedings.

The Liverpool City Region visitor attraction gallery, inside the LCR exhibition at Bordeaux Fête le Vin 2024

SHOWCASING LIVERPOOL CITY REGION’S MUSICAL TALENT

Music is the soul of Liverpool, and we brought a piece of that soul to Bordeaux. The Liverpool Music Showcase featured amazing live music from Liverpool artists Michael Aldag, Natalie McCool, and Ni Maxine. Their captivating performances, alongside a curated playlist of Liverpool’s greatest hits at the Rock’n’Wine school, filled the air with energy, helping to create a buzz around our exhibition. The musical finale during the drone shows on Friday and Saturday nights was a true highlight, leaving the audience in awe, with the ever-emotive Beatles classic hit, ‘Here Comes the Sun’.

Liverpool musician, Michael Aldag, performs at Bordeaux Fete le Vin 2024

Talented Liverpool musician, Michael Aldag, performs at Bordeaux Fête le Vin 2024

CULINARY DELIGHTS AT LIVERPOOL WINE SCHOOL

One of the standout experiences was the Liverpool Wine School Day. Esteemed Liverpool chefs Claire Lara and Paul Askew curated a selection of sweet and savoury canapés, perfectly paired with Liverpool’s rich musical heritage. We also created a Liverpool City Region food map by local artist Katherine Caldwell, providing a beautifully designed, visual representation of our region’s stand-out culinary superstar venues and producers.

The Liverpool City Region Bordeaux Fête le Vin exhibition and event programme featured a compelling combination of delicious food and iconic music, which created an immersive experience that left a lasting impression. Through this international event we were able to show people that Liverpool City Region looks, sounds and tastes fantastic, bursting with a culture and energy that’s totally unique.

Liverpool Chef, Claire Lara, demonstrates her skills and showcases Liverpool City Region cooking and cuisine at Bordeaux Fete le Vin 2024.

Liverpool Chef, Claire Lara, demonstrates her skills and showcases Liverpool City Region cooking and cuisine at Bordeaux Fête le Vin 2024.

BUSINESS ACTIVATIONS AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT

Beyond the consumer-facing events, Liverpool City Region’s presence at Bordeaux Fête le Vin included a series of business activations. Marketing Liverpool delivered a highly successful Travel Trade event, featuring collaboration with key partners such as Liverpool Football Club, The Beatles Story, and Mersey Ferries. Leading representatives from these renowned Liverpool brands presented to industry specialists and travel trade media from across Europe.

Chef Paul Askew curated a Liverpool-inspired menu for a Civic Lunch, set to the tunes of Ni Maxine. The civic lunch was a testament to the deep connections between Liverpool and Bordeaux, highlighting the collaborative spirit that bonds both cities.

Additionally, we hosted a press evening aboard The Belem – a three-masted ship with a square lighthouse and a steel hull, the last of the great French merchant ships of the 19th century still sailing – featuring canapés by Gabriella Margiotta and cocktails by Scott Burgess, all to the blissful music of Michael Aldag, performing a tour-de-force, two-hour set, that left the crowd wanting more. The evening offered a perfect blend of Liverpool’s culinary and musical talent, capped off by another epic drone show finale.

Marketing Liverpool developed and hosted a special Travel Trade event at Bordeaux Fête le Vin 2024

Marketing Liverpool developed and hosted a special Travel Trade event at Bordeaux Fête le Vin 2024

REFLECTING ON OUR JOURNEY

I am filled with pride and gratitude when I look back at how well Liverpool City Region was represented at Bordeaux Fête le Vin. Our presence at the festival was more than just an event; it was a strategic initiative to position Liverpool City Region as a global culinary destination. The support from VisitBritain’s ‘Audacious Kingdom’ campaign helped us highlight the bold and unexpected side of Liverpool City Region, inviting visitors to see our city in a new light and to expect the unexpected.

Our region’s recognition as the UK’s best city for food and drink by Time Out and the best large city for a city break by Which? underscores our appeal and has emboldened our ambition, which has been thrilling to witness. Our goal is to build on this momentum, continuing to showcase the dynamic and diverse picture of Liverpool City Region’s globally significant offerings—from our stunning coastlines and unique fashion to our rich history and heritage.

Marketing Liverpool held a press evening aboard The Belem - a three-masted ship, during Bordeaux Fete le Vin 2024

Marketing Liverpool held a press evening aboard The Belem – a three-masted ship, during Bordeaux Fête le Vin 2024

LOOKING AHEAD

As we look ahead, the connections and relationships forged at Bordeaux Fête le Vin will continue to bear fruit. The collaboration with our partners in Bordeaux and the support from our Liverpool City Region hospitality community were instrumental in making this event a success. A special thank you goes to Paul Askew, Gabriella Margiotta, Scott Burgess, Claire Lara, Michael Aldag, Ni Maxine and Natalie McCool, and the entire Culture Liverpool team for their unwavering support and dedication.

In closing, our journey to Bordeaux was a celebration of Liverpool’s energetic, confident and entrepreneurial spirit and a step forward in our mission to position Liverpool City Region as a global culinary powerhouse.

For more information on Bordeaux Fête le Vin click HERE.

For more information on Liverpool City Region as a destination click HERE.