The Tewkesbury Food and Drink Festival gets underway this weekend, with visitors sure to find a wide variety of culinary delights to get stuck into.

The annual festival, which gets underway on Saturday, is held on the grounds outside Tewkesbury Abbey. This year’s two-day event will host over 60 food and drink stalls offering visitors the chance to purchase locally produced meats, cheeses, beers, ciders and a huge variety of sweeter treats, including cakes and ice cream.

Festival organiser Dave Joynes is anticipating a busy two days, as local and national food and drink suppliers flock to the Gloucestershire town. He said: “Tewkesbury Food and Drink Festival is firmly establishing itself as one of the best festivals of its kind in Gloucestershire. Visitors will get the chance to purchase a wide variety of food and drinks from a host of fantastic suppliers.

“There will be over 60 stalls selling a huge array of fantastic produce, from award-winning cheeses and pies to meat from the very best suppliers. On the drinks front we’re pleased to welcome several superb breweries who will be selling their fantastic beers and ciders.”

As well as stalls selling food and drinks the festival will be hosting the hugely popular cookery theatre sessions, where professional chefs pass on their expertise and offer visitors the chance to learn new skills. Dave continued: “There is so much going on, it’s not just about the food and drink stalls. This year we’re particularly pleased to be welcoming five acclaimed chefs who will be running a cookery theatre where visitors can come and learn from professional chefs, who will be running educational workshops on all things food and drink. It’s a great opportunity for visitors to ask questions and pick up new skills in the kitchen, plus learn new recipes along the way. For our younger visitors there will be games and activities to get involved in, as well as live music over both days.”