ALCESTER Food Festival tasted success at the weekend as thousands came to the town to enjoy the very best in local produce.
Conservative estimates put the numbers at more than 20,000 and with the sun shining, many stallholders sold out.
“It went really well, even the tricky part of getting all the produce sellers in and unloaded in the morning went more smoothly than usual, and of course we were once again jammy with the weather,” said festival co-ordinator Frank Wood.
“The atmosphere was really good and the festival kept going, to the extent that I ended up at 5 o’clock walking up and down with a loudspeaker as the vans were arriving to pack everything up.”
Top draws were the locally grown asparagus and strawberries while Hogan’s cider and Purity beer also attracted many taste testers.
“I bought a couple of exotic sounding pies by Legges of Bromyard, which caught my eye and tasted delicious,” admitted Mr Wood.
He also praised the festival’s marshals and the 12-strong group of volunteer litter pickers who helped to keep the high street clean.
Mr Wood added: “They had an amazing affect on people, with folk seeing them and asking if they could put their rubbish in their bags or else making sure it went in the rubbish bins.
“All round it was positive and a great day for everyone.”
