Nearly 20000 visitors flood Wells for huge food festival

Thousands of food lovers descended on Wells on Sunday 11 October as this year's Wells Food Festival welcomed close to 20,000 visitors to the city.

Blessed with sunshine throughout the day, the festival showcased the very best of the region's food and drink sector, with hundreds of producers, traders, chefs and food enthusiasts coming together for one of Somerset's biggest food events.

Festival Director Jon Abbott said: "What an incredible day. The atmosphere was fantastic and the support from visitors, traders, sponsors and volunteers was truly overwhelming.

"The festival simply wouldn't happen without the dedication of our volunteers, the generosity of our sponsors and the quality of the producers who make Wells Food Festival such a special event year after year."

Crowds packed the festival's feature areas throughout the day, from live demonstrations at Big Nath's Fire Stage to children's cookery workshops at Little Joe's Kitchen. The Food for Thought marquee also attracted strong audiences for discussions on key issues facing the food industry, including talks from Wells & Mendip MP Tessa Munt and headline sponsor Charlie Bigham.

Charlie Bigham also had the difficult task of selecting the festival's Best in Show winner from 11 category champions. The title went to Robert Hawker Venison, recognised for its high-quality venison and game from the West Country.

Following the event, organisers received an outpouring of positive feedback from visitors and traders alike. One visitor commented: "It was a great atmosphere. We couldn't believe the number of food stalls on offer and there was a real buzz throughout the city."

Traders were equally enthusiastic, with comments including: "It's the best organised event I've done in 14 years of trading" and "A real highlight of our year."

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Jon Abbott added: "At its heart, the festival is a celebration of our region's outstanding food and drink industry. Seeing so many stands selling out before the end of the day says everything about the appetite for local produce and the success of the event."