The Cheshire and North Wales Food and Drink Festival has secured a major new headline sponsor – with a very special hometown connection.
Non-alcoholic drinks brand CHANCE CLEAN CIDER will back this year’s newly refreshed Easter Bank Holiday event. The brand was founded by John Logue, who first came to Chester as a University of Chester student in 1999, fell in love with the city and has lived there ever since, making him a local for the past 27 years.
The partnership marks another significant step forward for the much-loved festival, which was rescued earlier this year after facing closure following a 25-year run.
And John, who has previously worked with leading drinks brands including Rekorderlig, CROSSIP and Lucky Saint, said the sponsorship carries personal meaning.
“CHANCE is delighted to be sponsoring the festival. Not least because it has a very special hometown connection for me,” he said.
“Twenty-seven years ago, I came to Chester as a student. A few years later I began my career as a drinks rep here while working for Diageo. So to come full circle and return with my own cider brand as headline sponsor of such an incredible celebration of regional food and drink is something I’m hugely proud of.”
CHANCE is the UK’s first dedicated non-alcoholic apple cider, crafted from 100% British apples in Worcestershire and bottled at a refreshing 0.5% ABV for those who want the full cider experience without the alcohol.
This is the first festival CHANCE has sponsored, and John described it as a pivotal moment for the growing brand.
“For us, this is a landmark step,” he said. “The fact that such a major event is keen to have a non-alcoholic brand front and centre shows just how much the market for no and low alcohol drinks are evolving and how consumer tastes are changing.”
The Cheshire and North Wales Food and Drink festival is now under the stewardship of local hotelier and DevaFest co-owner Steven Hesketh and CoolBreeze Events founder Katie Isaacson. The pair stepped in earlier this year to ensure the event’s future, preserving one of the region’s best-loved traditions.
Steven Hesketh, founder of Hospitality Hero, welcomed the new partnership.
“CHANCE isn’t just a sponsor, they’re part of the festival story,” he said. “They’ve got a strong identity, they represent a modern shift in the drinks market and having them as Headline Sponsor sets the tone for what this new era of the festival is all about.”
Taking place from Friday April 3 to Monday April 6, this year’s event promises to be bigger and more ambitious than ever, with a programme designed to appeal to the whole family.
CHANCE will be visible across the festival weekend, with its drinks stocked in bar fridges throughout the site and a dedicated presence in the Beer & Cider area. John Logue will also appear in talks on a number of stages, underlining that the brand’s role goes beyond sponsorship and reflects a wider investment in the festival and its activities.
Great British Bake-Off winner Matty Edgell will headline on Saturday April 4, while MasterChef 2024 champion Brin Pirathapan appears on Friday April 3, with a further headline name still to be announced.
Acclaimed chef Aiden Byrne will appear on Sunday alongside Neil Aitken of The Forge, and fire-cooking duo Lumberjaxe (Jaydon & Brendon), known from Dragon’s Den. Additional appearances include Paul Askew, Brian Mellor, Harry Elliott, Naomi Griffiths, James Ellams and Felix Shore of Restaurant 209.
Trader applications and consumer tickets are now available, with organisers prioritising existing and local producers. Due to high demand, early booking is advised.
For more information, visit: www.cnwfoodanddrinkfestival.com
