Food festival plan for Market Drayton

The event 'Ginger and Spice' aims to celebrate Market Drayton's link to the products.

Organisers hope it will be as popular as nearby Stone's food and drink festival.

Market Drayton previously had a successful medieval damson fair which attracted thousands of people to the town each year.

The event was run by Market Drayton Chamber of Trade and Commerce for the last couple of years.

The fair attracted up to 9,000 people in its first year and replaced the town's carnival, which was cancelled following the 2012 event.

However, the chamber closed in 2015 and the event has not been run since.

Councillor Lee Ridgeway said: "This will be a festival to celebrate the town's links to gingerbread and spice.

"There is a lot of tradition in the town and there is a historic link with Market Drayton and spice.

"This event will aim to celebrate that. The organiser is hoping it will include baking, cooking and food stalls.

"If it goes well it is hoped that it can become an annual event and be as successful as Stone's food and drink festival.

"It will be really nice to have something similar in Market Drayton."

The connection between gingerbread and Market Drayton dates back to 1793 when the first making of the treat was recorded.

Roland Lateward was the first recorded gingerbread baker in the town and built a bakery at the back of his cottage in Shropshire Street. Since then, the town has been known as the home of gingerbread bakers for more than 200 years.

In 1817 another bakery began in the corner of High Street and Church Street, which then became known as Billington's Gingerbread. It was recently announced that Billington's gingerbread is returning to Market Drayton. It was made in the town until 2004 when it was relocated to Yorkshire by the McCarthy family.

Billington's original recipe has been passed down from baker to baker and has always been kept a closely-guarded secret.

But now Image on Food, which is based on the Burnside business park, Market Drayton, is set to has announced it is to relaunch, under licence, the heritage gingerbread biscuit brand.

The company is also appealing to all Billington's gingerbread customers to help with the development by participating in a product survey.

A website will be launched in the next few weeks giving more details about the event and how to take part.