THOUSANDS of revellers flocked to Jimmy’s Farm to feast on a weekend of culinary and musical treats.

The second sell-out Harvest at Jimmy’s festival opened its gates to people from across the country on Saturday with a packed line-up featuring top chefs and artists.

The farm in Wherstead, near Ipswich, made famous by the hit TV series Jimmy’s Farm, welcomed around 20,000 people to the two-day event, with many revellers throwing themselves into the festival spirit, camping on site.

Speaking from the new farm restaurant, pig farmer Jimmy Doherty, supported by his wife Michaela and their new baby Molly Rose, said this year’s event was “20 times better” than the first festival last year.

He said: “It has been a fantastic weekend and I think it really demonstrated how the blend of music and food can work together.

“We had about the same amount of people watching Scouting for Girls as the Hairy Bikers – it worked really well.

“The Treehouse Bar has been great fun. It had it’s own DJ, amazing cocktails, with a bird’s eye view of the main stage.

“Molly has loved her first festival– although she’s slept through most of it!

“It is exactly what we wanted it to be.”

From the vast music arena, dotted with food stalls and trade stands, festival-goers moved onto the food stage – featuring top chefs including the Hairy Bikers, Tom Parker-Bowles and Jean-Christophe Novelli.

With culinary delights from across the globe, from Mexican to Italian to locally-sourced treats, visitors teased their taste buds with delicious morsels.

Lighting up the music stage were Radio One DJ’s Nihal and Jo Whiley, The Futureheads, The Hoosiers and headliners Scouting for Girls and Newton Faulkner.

And there was fun for the younger revellers with a pirate adventure, nature walk, story time sessions and a puppet show.

Among the famous faces spotted in the crowds were the latest BBC Celebrity Masterchef winner, actress Lisa Faulkner and her actor husband Chris Coghill, who has appeared in Shameless, The Bill and EastEnders.

Around 40 residents from one village near Halstead in Essex upped-sticks for the weekend.

Wendy Jones, of Colne Engaine, said: “It is great, a really fantastic event. There are lots of people here but it doesn’t feel squashed – there is loads of space.”

With chef duo the Hairy Bikers top of their must-see list, the pair did not disappoint.

Gloria Staton, among the Colne Engaine party, added: “They were brilliant. We will definitely be coming back next year.”

And another member of their group, Richard Jones, added: “It is a great, friendly, family atmosphere.”

People travelling to the event got caught in heavy traffic as heavy congestion and slow-moving traffic caused lengthy delays on the A14 eastbound carriageway.