Thriving hospitality scene crucial to city’s visitor economy

A thriving food and drink scene is not just nice to have – it is a key component of Derby’s offer.

The region’s visitor economy is already worth nearly £3 billion – and Derby’s alone generates more than £426 million and supports around 5,000 jobs.

Such is its importance, the tourism sector is recognised by the East Midlands Combined County Authority in its Local Growth Plan,

A key part of Derby’s offer is having a plethora of quality food and drink establishments – these are the businesses the Marketing Derby Food and Drink Awards aim to recognise.

Confidence in Derby’s tourism offer is growing. Earlier this year, Time Out listed Derby as one of the must visit places in 2026.

It also recently included Derby in a list of the UK’s most underrated city breaks.

Stella Birks, visitor economy development manager at Visit Derby, believes the food and drink sector plays a vital role in enhancing people’s “experience” of the city.

She said: “Making the city an attractive place to live, work and visit is all connected, and the visitor economy isn’t just about visitors.

“It’s about the experience of being in the city. The quality of life that comes with the amount and variety of attractions, events, festivals and great places to eat and drink, is directly linked to success in recruiting the right people to be engineers in Toyota, Rolls-Royce and Alstom. It is likewise critical to attracting new business investment.”

Visit Derby produces a quarterly digital interactive guide designed to make it easier for people to find out about the many events happening in the city.

The ‘Derby Guide – What’s On’ also lists recommendations on some of the best places to eat and drink.

To download a copy of the latest guide, click here.