The organisers of the Taste of Timsbury food and drink festival were delighted with the number of people who visited the event at the Conygre Hall last Saturday, 17th September.

Close to 1,000 visitors enjoyed a huge variety of tempting stalls, sampling and selling a range of locally-produced food and drink, including meat, chilli jams, homemade soda bread, organic wine, vegetables, cakes, desserts, gourmet sausage rolls, jams and chutneys, goats’ cheese made on a farm in Timsbury, flavoured oils, hot and spicy sauces, beer and cider, and a selection of food products available in a newly-opened speciality shop located in Timsbury’s old post office. A star attraction was Ivan Stinchcombe, who has a licence to trap American crayfish in local rivers and who was selling them alive, cooked, or ready prepared in a horseradish mayonnaise.

The local branch of the W.I. had a very interesting display about reducing food waste, while the village allotments group, Cam Valley Arts, Seedy Saturday and Greenhill House Leonard Cheshire Home all had stalls and there was a display of photographs from local photographer, Clive Smith.

Bini Ludlow, from Sweet Cumin, was kept busy selling her Indian dishes and promoting her cookery classes, as well as giving a fascinating cookery demonstration and there were also demonstrations by Bath College and Judith Thomas.

Various speakers gave talks, including the CPRE, Professor Richard Evershed, from Bristol University and Balance Lifestyle and Fitness, Timsbury’s new gym.

On the recreation field, street food stalls included organic hot dogs and burgers and a selection of smoked meat, provided by Newton St Loe Farm Shop and cooked on an authentic ‘Texan smoker’ drew the crowds. Children were kept busy making rainbow vegetable pots and there was a visit from some bees. The Connies tea room in Timsbury provided real coffee and teas and delicious lunches.

Sponsorship from Timsbury Parish Council, Curo and Radco helped make this year’s festival such a success, together with a raffle with some very exciting prizes donated by local businesses.

Feedback from visitors and stallholders has been very positive and the organisers are already thinking of arranging another food and drink festival in the future.