FOODIES are in for a treat or two at a festival celebrating local produce and producers in Chipping Sodbury next weekend.

The newly named Chipping Sodbury Food and Drink Festival, incorporating local beers and ales into a programme of free tastings and samplings, will be spread over two days for the first time this year.

The event, on Friday, September 11 and Saturday, September 12, will include cookery demonstrations, a Royal cake competition, a huge farmers’ market and different dishes from all over the world.

It kicks off with a food trail on Friday evening (6-9pm) when visitors can sample drinks and international cuisine at various pubs and eateries including Chinese street food at Henry’s Oriental, tapas and local cider at The Coffee Bean and cocktails at The George.

Saturday will see a double decker London bus shuttle people between an overflow car park at Hanson Quarry to the High Street where an extended farmers’ market of local suppliers will run all day. Tastings will be served up at various shops including steak taster plates at The Squire Inn, beer, cheese and ice cream at Waitrose, homemade curry at The Horseshoe, Mexican tapas at Amigos and a hog roast at the Beaufort Hunt.

Hatherell’s Yard traders are taking part in this, the sixth annual festival organised by Sodbury Chamber of Commerce.

Chipping Sodbury cookery school teacher Ann Murray, who sits on the chamber, is holding demonstrations on how to use every scrap of the weekly shop as part of her Great Taste, No Waste campaign.

Ann said: “I’ll be doing cookery demonstrations using little bits of leftovers at the back of the fridge.

“Thrifty is the new nifty.”

She added: “We are really blessed here with the shops we have; a greengrocer, two butchers and a bakery. We want people to come and see what we have in Chipping Sodbury.”

Chamber vice-chairman Rich McDonough said: “Obviously the aim is to increase footfall in Chipping Sodbury and make people aware of all the food outlets we have here.
"We are very grateful to Hanson and the Bath Bus Company for supporting the event."

Hobbs House Bakery, home of Fabulous Baker Brothers Tom and Henry Herbert, is holding a Royal Bake Off competition for amateur cake makers to celebrate The Queen becoming the longest-reigning monarch on September 10.

Tom told the Gazette: “We love Chipping Sodbury and there is great food here.

“Anything that brings people in and shows them what a beautiful and delicious town it is has to be good thing.”

Raffle tickets, with food-related prizes, will be on sale to raise funds for next year’s event and winners of the chamber’s summer sheepdog competition will be drawn at 2pm.

Visitors are welcome to take a ride on the free bus without parking at Hanson.