The UK's leading food and drink festival was hailed a huge success as it attracted thousands of hungry visitors to Suffolk at the weekend.
The 17th edition of the Aldeburgh Food and Drink Festival was held at Snape Maltings, offering the opportunity to try a rich array of locally-produced food of all kinds and discover the county's farming heritage.
The event aims to support and promote Suffolk food producers, farmers, farm shops, restaurants, chefs and businesses.
The festival showcased more than 100 producers, 20 uniquely original and delicious fast-food outlets and a stellar line-up of 16 headline chefs.
Charlotte from Brownie and the Bean said: “We look forward to this festival every single year, it’s just a really special occasion.
“The atmosphere, the people, the camaraderie between producers are incredible. We just love it so much.
“Although we're exhausted, we have had the time of our lives and we've seen so many of our lovely customers.”
The organisers of the not-for-profit event sought to reconnect people with the food provided by the landscape as a whole: the villages and market towns, the fields, woodlands and marshes, the rivers and the sea.
The festival has grown in size during the last 17 years, but its philosophy remains the same.
Bella Scarr, Aldeburgh Food and Drink Festival manager, said: “The festival has gone incredibly well.
“Many traders have said it was their most successful day ever.
“Only on Saturday, our festival was visited by around 3,700 visitors.”
Local families who visited were able to try some of the region's best produce, as well as learn how it was made and even how to cook it.
Any surplus made from the two-day event is donated to Suffolk Community Foundation’s Food and Drink Fund, which supports various charities providing food for those in need in the county.
This year’s line-up included events and talks, as well as demonstrations presented by the best cooks in Suffolk.
Local producers included fisheries, fruit and vegetable growers, livestock farmers, bakers and chocolatiers, spice makers, brewers and winegrowers.
Nathan, from What the Peck, said: “We just love the community here, and it’s nice that at the end of the year we get to see all of our trader friends. It’s just a celebration of Suffolk.
“Both days were a brilliant success for us.”
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