Great tastes from

Thousands of food lovers feasted on some of the finest flavours from across the world in Canterbury over the weekend.

The city’s annual three-day Canterbury Food and Drink Festival cooked up tempting aromas, drawing big crowds to the Dane John Gardens.

There were 46 food and drink stalls with a special area dedicated to Kent produce, under the Produced in Kent banner.

Victoria Hazell of The Event Umbrella, which has organised the festival for the city council since 2012, said: “I think we achieved a high point of getting the number of visitors and the balance of stalls and choice of food just right.”

Foodies tucked into the huge variety of offerings from places as diverse as the Seychelles, Vietnam and Russia, including celebrity chef Antonio Carluccio’s foraged mushroom stall. Vegans were also well catered for at a variety of stalls.

Visitors were entertained with live music, including local groups, and there was a Loraine Brenan tempts Fonteyn Croker and Chris Mchugh with some of her Up the Garden chillies from Doddington children’s area with fair rides.

Street food stalls and buskers brought a special atmosphere to the city centre.

The event has become a firm favourite in the calendar of a city already renowned for its huge variety of restaurants.

It is put on for the city council with the Business Improvement District by The Event Umbrella.

Mrs Hazell said: “The number of visitors, although up on

Morris man Chris Rose tucks in at the food and drink festival

FM4933362 Jess Grout, Samuel Edwards, Amy Olver and Kris Leigh

FM4933407 Nichola Carter samples some oysters from Ellie Loft and Luke Gillam from the Whitstable Oyster Fishery Company

FM4933373 Kate Casey selects some delights from Marshmallow Heaven

FM4933378 Lee Harding of the Whitstable based Olives R Good 4 U

FM4933396 Karen Reynolds of the Kingcott Dairy with some Kentish Blue cheese