Cheltenham’s Sandford Park will host a two-day Cheese and Chilli Festival next month.

The festival, which gets underway on Saturday 4th August, will offer visitors the chance to purchase a wide array of award-winning cheeses and chillies, as well as enjoying a number of entertaining events. Event organiser Samantha Rance says the festival is a great day out for the whole family. She said: “We’re really looking forward to coming to Cheltenham next weekend. As well as all the wonderful stalls selling incredible cheeses and chillies we’ve got live entertainment and music, bars and culinary workshops. Whether you are young or old there’s something for everyone to enjoy.

“Children don’t have to pay to enter the festival and there’s so much for them to get up to. There will be bouncy castles, trampolines and face painting, plus loads of games for them to enjoy.”

One of the most popular events of the festival comes in the shape of the chilli eating contests. Entrants will compete to see who can handle the heat as they attempt to eat a plate full of hot chillies. Samantha continued: “Our eating competitions are always good for a laugh, most people do it for fun but there are some competitors who take it very seriously. There will be prizes for the winners, including a goody bag and a bottle of champagne so it’s definitely worth entering.

“Another popular event is the demonstrations we run in our cooking tent. Professional chefs will be running workshops using produce from the festival. Visitors will get the chance to learn some new recipes and pick up some handy culinary tips.”

“We’ve a really wide range of producers who attend the festival. Some are well-known all over the country, but we’ll also be welcoming smaller companies who will be selling their amazing produce. If you like cheese you will be blown away by the variety and quality of produce on sale.

“As well as food, we’ll also be making sure all our visitors are well hydrated. There will be an authentic beer offering from one or more of the many microbreweries around the area including an excellent range of real ales to enjoy.”