This Saturday, 9th August , see’s one of the largest events in the Ribble Valleys calendar hitting Clitheroe, as Clitheroe Food Festival celebrates four years of showcasing Lancashire finest food and drink producers.

Over one hundred artisans and specialists from all across Lancashire will be adorning the streets and market with a magnificent offer of delicious wares and musicians of all genres will add to the atmosphere, plus there will be an excess of activities providing everyone with places to drop into during the day.

There are a few cookery demonstrations, talks and tastings still requiring support. Advanced ticket sales have now ceased but many of them have a few seats remaining. These can be purchased on the door on the run up to the session.

The festival is a Social Enterprise, a not-for-profit business whereby all profits are returned to fund subsequent events. The Festival Team is supported by Ribble Valley Borough Council and this year’s main sponsors are Daniel Thwaites Brewery who are renowned in Lancashire for their excellent beers and beautiful Shire Horse Dray Wagon. The Dray team will be present again both on King Street around 11am and in Market Place around 12.30am.

If the weather refrains from torrential downpours, a fun fair will descend on the Castle Field from Friday until Sunday. There will be a beer and music event on Friday and Saturday evening at St Michael and St Johns Church too to kick start proceedings. The festival opens on Saturday at 9am.

“Too many food and drink festivals concentrate on making money and end up over commercialising their event” says Martin Smith, of Lancaster Brewery one of this year’s sponsors and a stalwart of the festival. “So much so that they forget the reason food and drink festivals were created in the first place – to support local to area artisan producers! Clitheroe Food Festival is the highlight of our year for the pure fact that it’s aim is to showcase local producers and it sticks to it”.

Julie Whalley, Festival Coordinator advises “This event has to remain focused on being quality led due to the size and nature of it being held in a town centre with very little room to grow it. Reputable companies who become Sponsors want to be associated with quality events. It’s no easy task, we have such a tiny part time team. As with all large scale events it takes a lot of effort and many sleepless nights. However it is worth every single minute seeing people enjoying what a wonderful festival we’ve coordinated for them to enjoy so freely with their friends and family – if only we could persuade them all to part with a fiver we would not have to worry too much about next year’s funding!

For more information go to www.clitheroefoodfestival.co.uk and Twitter @Clitheroefood Facebook Clitheroe Food Festival to keep abreast of what’s happening on festival day.

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