Taste of Sudbury Food and Drink Festival. Picture: SEANA HUGHES.
A food and drink festival that brought thousands of people to Sudbury is helping the town gain a reputation as a foodie destination, its organiser has said.
Taste of Sudbury was this year organised by Justine Paul, who runs the monthly farmers’ market in the town as part of the award-winning Suffolk Market Events.
Attractions the estimated 6,000 visitors enjoyed included more than 60 stalls selling a huge range of produce and demonstrations by top chefs, including James Carn of The Angel in Bury St Edmunds and Oliver Macmillan of the Long Melford Swan.
The festival, on Sunday, June 11, at Market Hill and St Peter’s Church, celebrates some of the area’s best producers, restaurants and chefs.
Mrs Paul said: “It was absolutely brilliant. It was really busy. We had fantastic stalls there.”
Scott Taylor gives cooking demos . Picture: SEANA HUGHES.She added: “People came quite a distance and I think it’s definitely stamping Sudbury on a foodie map for sure, and I think anything we can do to increase people’s awareness of the town is great.”
Other chefs to show off their culinary skills included baker Will Wooster (winner of Best Newcomer at the Suffolk Food and Drink Awards), Regis Crepy, of the Great House in Lavenham, Carl Shillingford, of Shillingfords at The Quay in Sudbury, Daniel Russell, head chef at The Swan in Monks Eleigh, the Rafi’s Spice Box chefs and ICE development kitchen chefs.
Visitors could also try out lots of tasty samples including cakes, freshly baked bread, local gins and vodkas, cordials and wines.
St Peter’s nave was filled with a display of locally-grown fruit and vegetables from Brooke Lynne Farm Shop.
Chris Small from Smallys Biltong. Picture: SEANA HUGHES.There was also live music from The Three Chordettes, a three-piece female vocal group, and children could decorate cupcakes and cookies.
Mrs Paul said thanks to sponsorship, including headline sponsorship from The Long Melford Swan, the event was able to be free to the public.
“I worked so hard to get enough sponsorship and adverts so we could afford to run it as a free event. People came from all over today [Sunday], but there were lots of local people there. They loved today.”
She added: “It was just really lovely to see it prospering and flourishing.”
Taste of Sudbury Food and Drink Festival . Picture: SEANA HUGHES.She will organise next year’s event.
From The Pantry, Johnathan and Ashleigh. Picture: SEANA HUGHES.
Jenny Maltby from The Souvlaki shak . Picture: SEANA HUGHES.
Anna Foster enjoying her food . Picture: SEANA HUGHES.
Lucy Earland with Posh Squash . Picture: SEANA HUGHES.
Enjoying the food festival, Fiona Horod , Sam Wilson and Simba . Picture: SEANA HUGHES.
Ian Chisholm from Essex Brewing Company . Picture: SEANA HUGHES.
