THOUSANDS of food lovers indulged their appetites at this year’s Llangollen Food and Drink Festival.

The annual event, which has been running for 13 years, attracted about 10,000 visitors from across Britain and beyond who savoured culinary delights from a record number of exhibitors.

One of the festival’s star attractions, Graham Tinsley, manager of the Welsh Culinary Team and star of ITV’s Taste the Nation, said: “This is a perfect showcase for local food and local producers which highlights the fact that there is fantastic food right on the doorstep.

“There is a real resurgence of interest in real food and the provenance of the ingredients – where they come from.”

Mr Tinsley was involved in judging the children’s competition, organised in conjunction with Denbighshire County Council.

The winner was Catrin Roulston, 10, a pupil at Ysgol Maeshyfryd, Cynwyd, who made an apple and spicy plum crumble.

Award-winning fudge maker Peter Tofalos, who runs Uncle Peter’s Fudge in Llangollen, was one of the 110 exhibitors.

He said: “Things are on the up, the festival is better than ever. It really is good.”

Organiser David Green, managing director of Xuberance Events, was thrilled at the success of this year’s festival, which included a gala dinner on Friday night.

He said there are currently more than 40 exhibitors on the event’s waiting list.

He added: “The festival is evolving and improving each year. My mission is to provide a first class shop window for the wonderful food producers we have in the
area.”