THE £400,000 Rix Pavilion is officially open for business on Driffield’s historic showground.

Susan Cunliffe Lister, the Lord Lieutenant of East Yorkshire, cut the ribbon in front of more than 200 members of Driffield Agriculture Society.

The building is a partnership between the society and East Yorkshire fuel company Rix Petroleum, and can seat 350 dinner guests and up to 700 for theatre-style performances.

It also features spacious kitchens, toilets, additional rooms and parking for around 1,000 vehicles.

David Tite, society chief executive, said: "The new pavilion will enable us to hold weddings, conferences, meetings and dinner dances.

"We have 77 acres of open grassland which makes a lovely setting for any venue and the new Rix Pavilion is fully licensed for marriages and civil partnerships."

He said Rix Petroleum had been "fantastic" in its support from start to finish. "The idea of the pavilion is that it will generate income and create revenue which we can then pile back into our charitable activities."

Rix Petroleum has been a long-time supporter of the society and the annual Driffield Show, which it has exhibited at for 67 years in succession.

Duncan Lambert, director, said: “Driffield Show is where many of our farming and residential customers converge, and that gives us the opportunity to catch up with them face to face. So when the opportunity arose to sponsor the building we jumped at the chance. We understood the importance of having such a venue for the community."

ends