A POPULAR summer festival in Droitwich Spa is set to be boosted with the inclusion of a food and drink showcase.

The Droitwich Summer Festival 2013, which combines the annual Music and Arts Festival with a popular town boat gathering, will now boast an event called The Food and Drink Festival as well.

The food festival will help launch this year’s attractions and aims to promote and showcase foods, drinks, beverages, suppliers and producers from the area.

Dates and details of the new-look event and its extended programme are set to be announced at the next meeting of the Droitwich Spa Business Forum.

The group will hear from Food and Drink Festival organiser Patrick Davis when it meets on Monday, February 4.

A spokesman from Droitwich Spa Business Forum said: “This is sure to be of interest to all of our local suppliers, restaurants, hotels, pubs, and all food related outlets, plus any business which can benefit from increased footfall in the town.”

The meeting will take place at St Andrews Town Hotel, St Andrews Drive, Droitwich, at 6.45pm for a 7pm start.

Last year’s event, which ran from June 22 to July 8, proved very popular with residents and visitors to the town.

A host of boats gathered in Vines Park after navigating the town’s waterways before a wide range of music events were held throughout Droitwich.