Third annual Shipston Food Festival brings in the crowds

GASTRONOMICAL goodies and culinary creations of every type packed the streets of Shipston at the weekend as the third annual food festival drew in the crowds.

This year’s event started off on the Friday with the Shipston Beer Festival, hosted by Shipston Rugby Club, and featured a unique ‘Taste Trail’. Sunday featured more than 40 stalls from businesses in the Cotswolds, Stour Valley and West Oxfordshire stocked with locally produced artisan foods, beers and hot food

The fine weather and autumn sunshine helped ensure the high street was busy with people milling around to see what was on offer and watch the many cookery demonstrations take place.

The event is run by volunteers led by residents Dan Scobie and Phil Vial. They attracted sponsorship from Taste of the Country and Sheldon's Wine Merchants, as well as Sally Jane Hurst, of BO:K Designs, and the town council.

"It was a thoroughly wonderful event with between two to three thousand visitors. The weather remained fine and everyone seemed to thoroughly enjoy themselves. We are now busy organising next year's event," said Mr Vial.

The main tent had a range of entertainments during the day including cookery demonstrations and the art of cocktail creating.

Music drifted through the thoroughfare thanks to local band The Peas, made up of duo Kelvin Leitch on guitar and Kelly Rashleigh on double bass. They played and sang a selection of their own songs in their own unique style and were seen earlier in the summer at the town's Last Night of the Proms and Broomhill Blues Festival.

Visitors enjoyed freshly made wood-fired pizzas, burgers and sausages, aptly washed down by offerings from the beer tent hosted by the Horseshoe Inn and Black Horse who served ales from North Cotswold Brewery and Hogan's cider.

The White Bear pub was also offering Donington Beer from the barrel outside

As well as eating and drinking, there was plenty to see with stands and activities for young children including face painting and chocolate shape making. For vintage enthusiasts there was a 1960s Massey Fergusson tractor.

Shipston PCSOs Hayley Ditchburn and Emma Turner were there to give advice on security and property security marking.

The Shipston Totally Locally stall was selling their newly designed and produced tea towel and fabric bag, while fresh bread was available from the WH Gayton stall. Many more other stalls brimmed with sweet and savoury goodies as well as locally-made ice cream.

The Cotswold Distillery had their gin available for sampling while the distillery's mixologist Ollie Morris demonstrated cocktail making using their own gin. The distillery also offered tastings of some of its early whisky barrel stock which is available as a single malt.