HUNDREDS of food and ale lovers swarmed to the gardens of a leading brewer to sample the liquid and culinary delights of some of the region’s top producers.

The Real Food and Beer Festival was organised by Greene King as part of the Bury St Edmunds Festival, which is now in its 25th year.

The food and beer festival was held at Greene King’s Westgate Brewery Gardens and featured more than 30 local producers. Many stallholders linked their products to a beer from the Greene King range.

Among the producers at the inaugural food and beer festival was Powters Sausages from Newmarket, which is an EADT Suffolk Food and Drink Bakery winner, The Cake Shop from Woodbridge, with its special Greene King IPA bread, The Colchester Oyster Fishery based in Mersea Island, with its celebrated rock oysters, cooked and dressed lobsters and crabs, scallops and mussels, and the charismatic Don Lear – The Bhajiman from Great Hockham in Norfolk, with his inspiring and delicious range of “easy-mix” and spice kits for foolproof Indian cuisine.

Grant Powter of Powters Sausages said: “These sausages are truly a celebration of a butcher’s art and a brewer’s craft.

“The Abbot Ale compliments the free-range meat delightfully, and we are very proud to be part of the first Real Food and Beer Festival Bury has had.”

Other producers on show included Aspalls Cyder, Bluebell Woods Wild Venison, Jimmy’s Farm, The English Whisky Company, Suffolk Food Hall, Alder Carr Farm, Kelly’s Turkeys, the Elveden Estate and Paddy and Scotts.

n See next Saturday’s EA Man to find out how EADT reporter Jonathan Schofield got on during the festival’s beer-tasting course.

laurence.cawley@eadt.co.uk