Shrewsbury Food Festival 2017: Award-winning producers from Shropshire in attendance

The region will be well represented with a number of award-winning Shropshire producers in attendance.

Rachel Davy, the festival’s spokeswoman, says making sure producers are well represented is very important.

She said: “We favour local producers and we favour those who are trying to do the right thing.

“But we don’t have set policies that bar people who are from elsewhere in the UK.

“Our aims are quite simple. If it’s good, if we think people like it and if the producers have their heart in the right place then we’ll try and find them a space.”

Producers who have been trading for many years and are established do not necessarily win out over the new guys.

Ms Davy added: “We have a bursary scheme, which provides either low-cost or, in some cases, no-cost pitches.

“That’s so that we can do the right thing ourselves by giving a helping hand to those who might otherwise not be able to exhibit.

“The bursary scheme has worked well in recent years and some of those who started out needing a bursary place are now firmly established as full-scale traders.”

The festival will also host a craft village, showcasing makers who put their heart and soul into their work.

Ms Davy said: “Our festival has always shone the spotlight not just on the food and drink sector but on the craft community too.

“We are fully behind the county’s talent makers, builders, artists and artisans and they’ll be getting a huge space in which to demonstrate and sell.”