Salcombe Crabfest - Charity Food Festival

Great seafood. Great Chefs. Supporting Local Charities.

What is Salcombe Crabfest?

Ten Years of Supporting Local Charities and Good Causes

Salcombe’s brown crab, caught by the local fishing fleet off the South Devon coast, is widely regarded as some of the best in the world. Its exceptional flavour inspired the creation of Salcombe Crabfest, an annual celebration of local seafood and the coastal community that surrounds it.


Crabfest brings together food lovers, award-winning chefs, families and visitors for a vibrant day of cookery demonstrations, hands-on activities, live music and entertainment. Organised by the Rotary Club of Salcombe the festival also raises funds for local causes, supporting a wide range of community and charitable projects.

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Fresh local crab landed right here in Salcombe

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Live cookery demonstrations from award-winning and local chefs

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Live music and entertainment throughout the day

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Family-friendly activities, including kids’ workshops and interactive sessions.

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Events across Salcombe, from the Fish Quay to Whitestrand.

Sponsors & Exhibitors

What is Salcombe Crabfest?

Now in its 10th year Salcombe Crabfest is an annual one day charity food festival in South Devon celebrating Salcombe’s renowned brown crab, local fishing heritage and the beautiful coastal community in the surrounding area. 

Cooked crab on a dark plate, garnished with herbs, chilies, and citrus fruits.
Five people on a boat, holding up crabs and lobster. The boat is blue, named

Celebrating Local Fishing Fleets

Crabfest showcases the exceptional brown crab landed by Salcombe’s fishing fleet - considered to be some of the finest in the world. Its unique flavour and sustainability have attracted award-winning chefs and leading seafood experts who travel to Salcombe to demonstrate their skills and champion the locally sourced food. 

Who Organises Salcombe Crabfest?

The one day food festival is organised by the Rotary Club of Salcombe and is more than just a food festival. This charity event brings together families, foodies and visitors for a vibrant day of chef demonstrations, interactive activities and live music. The event is a day of giving as well as celebration - every donation helps support local charities, community projects and people in the local Salcombe area.

Five people smiling, arms around each other, at an outdoor bar with bottles and drinks.
Group of people outdoors, holding small dogs, standing on grass by water with trees in the background.

Which Charities Are Being Supported In 2026?

This year the main charities are: Hope Cove Lifeboat and Age Concern Kingsbridge. Over the last 10 years we have raised over £80,000 for local charities. Every penny helps support local families, communities and good causes. Your attendance at Salcombe Crabfest gives back to the community.

Why Your Visit Matters

Salcombe Crabfest celebrates the fishing industry, an industry central to Salcombe past and present. Not only does the food festival highlight the fishing industry but also supports local businesses by bringing visitors to the town for a day of family fun. Generous donations help to support the local community and local causes - and of course visitors have a fun-filled day out with a great atmosphere and plenty of amazing food!

People gathered outdoors, some smiling, wearing sunglasses. Man in yellow sweatshirt, woman in white top, listening.

A Non-Profit Festival That Gives Back to the Community. 

Run as a non-profit event, Salcombe Crabfest raises vital funds for local charities and community projects. Organised by the Rotary Club of Salcombe, the festival supports causes that make a real difference locally.

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Match-funded two night landing sites for Devon Air Ambulance

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Part funded a defibrillator for Salcombe Fish Quay

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Supplied new First Responder vehicle

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£80,000 raised for local charities

Our Sponsors

A Non-Profit Festival That Gives Back to the Community

So far over £80,000 has been raised for local charities and community projects

Latest News

Keep up to date with all our latest news.

By 45g345w May 9, 2025
A word from Nick Brodie Event Organiser and the Rotary Club of Salcombe We want to say a huge thank you to everyone who helped make this year’s Crabfest the best one yet! We’re incredibly grateful to South Hams District Council for allowing us to use their car parks, and to Tally Ho! for providing our park and ride buses. A heartfelt thanks goes to our amazing main sponsors — Devon Rum Co., Coast & Country Cottages, Twisted, Rockfish, and Marchand Petit — as well as to Toad Hall Cottages for sponsoring the music and providing accommodation, alongside the Harbour Hotel Salcombe, the Harbour Beach Club, Salcombe Abode, and Soar Mill Cove Hotel. A big thank you to all the talented chefs who gave fantastic demos, to Tom Bunn for expertly running the demo kitchen, Ben Sinnott from Polaris for providing the sound, and Chris Puncher for generously donating the crab. Thank you also to the brilliant musicians who filled the day with live music, and to our talented photographers, Martyn Norsworthy and Sara Hayward, for capturing every moment. And of course, this event wouldn’t have been possible without the support of our wonderful exhibitors and visitors. Thank you — we couldn’t have done it without you! Here’s to Crabfest 2026! (Sunday May 3rd)
By 45g345w April 30, 2025
Crabfest Supports this Fantastic Team. Meet them on Sunday May 4th 2025
By 45g345w April 28, 2025
Yes, this year’s fabulous Salcombe Crab Festival falls on Sunday, the 4th of May. So, for all you Intergalactic Star Wars fans, let’s celebrate. Matt’s got a lightsaber, apparently! The picture show a fantastic bunch of Chefs, Producers and Distributors performing wonders on Crab, Lobster, and other brilliant products from the South West. All on the Free Chef Demonstration stage on the harbour side in Salcombe. Did I mention the Sherry? Kate Hawkins will reveal the wonders of Sherry at Salcombe Crabfest, live onstage! Sherry is the force, ask Owen Morgan. Devon lemons aren’t up to much apparently, so we get them from a little island off Salcombe called Sicily 😉 Join us for a Family Fun packed day in Salcombe on SUNDAY MAY 4th (Bank Holiday Weekend).
By 45g345w March 26, 2025
For a full round-up of everything you can expect at Salcombe Crabfest 2025. Download your free programme today! You can also pick up a free copy at the event. Sunday 4th May 2025. We so look forward to seeing you there! May the Forth be with you! Crabfest Star-troopers!
By 45g345w November 1, 2024
Crabfest is approaching its eighth year! Can you believe it? Eight years of wonderful local business stalls, chef demonstrations and raising lots of money for charity. This event will take place on Sunday 4th May. Salcombe Crabfest has become one of the town’s most anticipated annual events. Each year, thousands of visitors flock to Salcombe for this charity festival, to enjoy a day filled with crab, beautiful scenery, fun activities and insightful demonstrations… and, of course, shopping! For one day only, Island Street, along with a large section of the neighbouring Creek Car Park, is closed to traffic, offering festival-goers a rare pedestrianised shopping experience in the heart of Salcombe’s traditional boat building quarter. This year we’re looking forward to welcoming more exhibitors than ever before and invite you to be among them. Whether you offer locally produced food and drink, artisan crafts, clothing, gifts, accessories or more besides, we would be delighted for you to join us in making Crabfest 2025 an unforgettable experience for our visitors. This year we are offering an Early Bird price for all stalls that are booked before December 31st 2024. From January 1st 2025 our prices will be increasing. Due to the unprecedented demand of last year’s event, we are asking that all invoices for stalls to be paid in full within 30 days from the date of invoice. If payment is not made within this time frame your space will be allocated to someone else. If you wish to exhibit at Crabfest 2025 please fill out our Exhibitor Form ! Please remember to read our Terms and Conditions.

"Crabfest isn’t just a celebration of great seafood. It’s our community coming together to support a good cause, honor the hard work of our local fishermen, and give back in a way that truly matters

"Crabfest isn’t just a celebration of great seafood. It’s our community coming together to support a good cause, honor the hard work of our local fishermen, and give back in a way that truly matters

"Crabfest isn’t just a celebration of great seafood. It’s our community coming together to support a good cause, honor the hard work of our local fishermen, and give back in a way that truly matters