Ludlow turning up the heat for 20th food festival

Organisers say they are excited at a forecast which is predicting the fine weather will be continuing through the weekend.

Festival director Beth Heath said: "It's brilliant up here, the marquees are up, and because the sun is shining people are hoping it's going to be a bumper year.

"There's a nice buzz about the town, all the businesses are looking forward to it.

"Ludlow Brewing Co have stacked up crates of beer, because they say they'll be selling more if the sun is out.

"We're expecting as many people as we can fit in the castle."

Over the years the festival has grown to become a nationally renowned event with foodies flocking from across the country to taste the delights on offer.

Mrs Heath said: "A lot has changed since the first year, when it was held in Ludlow College. Then it moved to the market, and now it's in the castle.

"It's come on amazingly. This year we are using rooms in the back of the castle that we've never used before, the big top is 20 pe cent bigger and we have loads of free kids stuff going on this year."

This will be the festival's 20th year. Running from tomorrow to Sunday, the festival has become a highlight of the foodie calendar in the UK.

More than 180 artisan food producers will come together in the castle grounds, where they will be joined by a host of top chefs and experts with dozens of free demonstrations on the two main stages.

Master Chef 2011 winner Tim Anderson will be there along with Great British Menu stars Emily Watkins and Jason Hodnett.

Young cook and food writer Anna Jones, who has worked with Jamie Oliver for many years, will also be there, as will head chef at Jimmy's Farm Jon Gay and Dan Doherty, from the UK's highest restaurant in the City of London, The Duck and Waffle.

Local chefs will feature heavily too with Marcus Bean from Brompton Cookery School in Shropshire and chef on ITV's This Morning, Sam Bruce of Herefordshire based Scrummy Bites and Felice Tocchini from Fusion Brasserie in Worcestershire.

Taste Workshops will give visitors the opportunity to get hands on, savour tutored tastings and unlock the secrets of specific ingredients, and there will be three new books launched at the festival – Chicken: The New Classics by Marcus Bean; Doing It In Wellies by smallholding entrepreneur Sam Gray; and Gastronomical!, a book for children from restaurateur Claire Bosi, who founded former Ludlow Michelin starred restaurant Hibiscus.

Meanwhile at Ludlow Assembly Rooms the festival will welcome back the Pink LadyFood Photographer of the Year Exhibition, the result of a worldwide search for the best food photography.

There will also be the ever-popular sausage, ale and bread trails taking place around Ludlow, along with the pudding tasting and the Sunday producers market.

A special shuttle bus will be put on running between Ludlow Touring Caravan Park and the town from 9am to 10am each day, and returning again in the evening, after the public 492 service was cut at weekends at the start of the month.

For more details visit www.foodfestival.co.uk