Thousands enjoy East Midlands Food & Drink Festival 2012 in Melton Mowbray

The 2012 East Midlands Food & Drink Festival drew 1,000's of visitors to Melton Mowbray over the weekend, to feast on the mouth watering array of food and drink on offer. The warm sunshine helped attract the crowds, who seemed delighted by what they saw - and ate and drank!

• Click here to see a gallery of 40 pictures from the East Midlands Food & Drink Festival 2012 in Melton Mowbray

There were around 200 stalls selling everything from Bison burgers to speciality ciders to pickles, and pretty much everything in between.

The AGA Rangemaster Cookery Theatre also hosted demonstrations throughout the weekend, including a Melton Mowbray Pork Pie making Master Class by Stephen Hallam of Dickinson & Morris:

VIDEO - Melton Mowbray Pork Pie making Master Class

Matthew O'Callaghan, Chairman of the Melton Mowbray Food Partnership said;

• "This has to be one of our best festivals ever. A very good footfall with producers saying that despite the recession people were prepared to pay for quality produce. Some had all time record sales at the event.

  We can look to next year, our 10th Anniversary with confidence and a job well done."

Whilst the event attracted many people from outside the area, local blogger Adam Basey wondered why there weren't more people from Melton Mowbray - Lack of interest in the rural food capital?

One local who did go, and clearly had a good time was Sarah Gray from Melton Mowbray, who tweeted @sagray16 :

• "Great morning at @EMfoodanddrink in Melton Mowbray. Come home with lots of goodies."

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