Experiencing a taste of normality
Destination Chesterfield Chairman Peter Swallow has shared his excitement at the festivals and events that are returning to Chesterfield in his latest blog.
It’s been a long time coming, but it looks like we are finally making it through the pandemic, with restrictions lifted on July 19. It goes without saying that it’s been a difficult journey for us all, but as we know, Chesterfield is a strong and resilient town and I’m confident that we are going to bounce back stronger than ever.
The business community experienced a taste of normality on 7 July when Destination Chesterfield held its first face-to-face event in 16 months at Casa Hotel. Chesterfield Champions were invited to join the judging panel in selecting three finalists for the 2021 Chesterfield Food Producer of the Year award, a category in the Love Chesterfield awards which will be held at the Winding Wheel in October.
It was only a small event, but refreshing and indeed, it did feel like a return to normality. The wares of five local food producers were judged, the aim being to shortlist to three. In my opinion they are all winners. Every one of them had to pivot their business overnight when the first lockdown was announced. However as with a lot of things, we have quickly learnt to adapt and have discovered new ways of working. More importantly they have survived this terrible time. Check out our guide for summer picnics featuring those food producers and more.
After such a tough time, the Love Chesterfield Awards this year will really be a celebratory event. They are our opportunity to recognise the significant accomplishments of our business community during this unprecedented time and to celebrate the role that they have all played in the town’s economic survival. Check out the finalists here.
The council’s Economic Recovery Plan has put a strong foundation in place here in the town and it has truly served us well. Having this foundation enables us to continue growing and making a stronger than ever comeback as the economy fully reopens this summer.
For most of us this year, summer will be spent staying in the UK. Thankfully for all of us here in Chesterfield, there’s a host of events and activities available, that we can all get involved with, right here on our doorstep. Check out our places to visit guide for some inspiration of where to visit.
The Summer in Chesterfield website will help you find things to do whatever your interests. www.chesterfield.co.uk/summer
Chesterfield also offers a wealth of outdoor activities to take part in and we are fast becoming a tourism ‘hot spot’ in the UK. People are taking advantage of the accessibility and beautiful surroundings in our area.
These factors, coupled with our renowned warm Chesterfield welcome, I believe make us the ultimate staycation location and the perfect place to visit this summer and beyond.
