St Georges day festival set to showcase Shropshire food

NFU West Midlands has joined forces with Heart of England Fine Foods to put together a spectacular showcase of local food and drink to help celebrate St George's Day in Shropshire's county town.

The Festival of Local Food and Drink will feature stalls run by 25 producers from Shropshire and its surrounding counties and takes place on Friday April 23 in The Square, Shrewsbury.

It will be launched by Shrewsbury's renowned town crier Martin Wood and will also feature the NFU Food and Farming Roadshow, presented by Lancashire farmer Johnny Ball.

The Heart of England Fine Foods marquee - complete with information on where to buy authentic locally-produced foods - will also be in The Square for the event.

And the patriotic atmosphere at the event will be enhanced by the morning visit of Trouvere, a group of minstrels who will perform songs and a play for the benefit of the watching public.

Visitors to the festival will have the opportunity to sample smoked meats, hot pies, local cheeses and English wine, beer and cider as well as purchase local food themselves.

Producers from all over the county have agreed to run stalls at the event, which is also being supported by Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council.

"The festival will provide an excellent shop window for producers of a delicious and diverse range of products and will also be a great opportunity for the public to come and discover what fantastic food and drink is available in their own county," said NFU West Midlands' regional public relations officer Russell Griffin.

A major campaign is now under way to promote the event including the siting of banners in Castle Gates and Wyle Cop in Shrewsbury town centre, widespread distribution of flyers via tourist information centres, newspaper advertising and radio interviews.

Lynn Wood, Heart of England Fine Foods' marketing executive for Shropshire, said: "We really hope the public will come out and support their local producers and help us to celebrate St George's Day in style.

"Buying food directly from producers and farm shops is becoming increasingly popular and we are delighted to be able to bring a wide range of products together for consumers to sample and buy.

"The music we have organised will add to the party atmosphere and we are currently working on plans for further entertainment during the day."

The festival will start at 9am and run through till 6pm.