Norfolk towns could learn from pork pie capital to thrive

Fabian Eagle, the councillor with responsibility for economic growth at Norfolk County Council, wants to see more done to attract visitors to the county's market towns.

Fabian Eagle, Norfolk County Council cabinet member for economic growth (Image: NCC)

He said, up to now, the county has been "guilty" of looking inwards, rather than learning from the likes of Melton Mowbray, dubbed the country's 'pork pie capital'.

That Leicestershire town took advantage of its famous pies and Stilton cheese to promote itself as a 'rural capital of food'.

That helped to breathe new life into its centre and reverse falling visitor numbers - and Mr Eagle said Norfolk could take inspiration from such ideas.

Melton Mowbray is famous for its pork pies (Image: Jacob King / Press Association)

Mr Eagle spoke at a county council-organised conference in Swaffham where ways were discussed to get more people to visit Norfolk's market towns.

The market towns conference took place in Swaffham's Assembly Rooms (Image: Norfolk County Council)

Mr Eagle told delegates from 22 such communities they must look at how they “brand and present” their towns to potential customers and visitors, with representatives from Melton Mowbray detailing their success story.

He said: "We may have been guilty of spending too much time looking inwards, rather than at other places around the country and how they have used what they have got to promote themselves.

"I accept each one of our 22 market towns faces its own challenges and difficulties, but I believe if we channel our energy in a positive way, we can achieve a lot.

"Rather than being afraid of failing, let’s try out an idea and see if it works."

The conference heard about successful schemes, such as Breckland Council's efforts to regenerate shopfronts and prominent buildings in Swaffham and a similar programme by North Norfolk District Council in North Walsham.

Crowds flock to the West Norfolk Seasonal Food and Drink Festival in Hunstanton (Image: Chris Bishop)

It also heard how the county council's Love Your Market Town grant scheme had supported the West Norfolk Seasonal Food & Drink Festival in Hunstanton, which has been running for three years and drawing in crowds.

Mark Kacary, owner of the Norfolk Deli in Hunstanton (Image: Matthew Usher)

Mark Kacary, owner of the Norfolk Deli in Hunstanton, said: "You need an idea that makes you stand out from the crowd and what makes Hunstanton different is that we are next to the sea."