Streets of Oswestry packed for annual food festival - with pictures

The festival has brought about four million visitors to the town over the last 11 years it has been running.

There was also live performances and entertainment in the town centre on Saturday and Sunday.

Mayor Vince Hunt opened the festival on Saturday at 10am.

He said: "It's brilliant, it's fantastic for Oswestry.

"The organisers have done a fantastic job, it was really busy from when it first opened.

"I come here every year, this year it was an honour to open the festival as Oswestry's mayor.

"It's things like this that we really need in Oswestry, this helps to boost our markets."

Oswestry's mayoress, Councillor Hunt's daughter, Amber Hunt, said: "I think it's a really good event, it brings a lot of people into Oswestry."

Lydia Britten, from Oswestry, was showcasing her cupcakes at the food festival.

The 20-year-old started the business, Lydia's Cupcake Heaven, when she was just 15 and it has grown ever since.

She said: "We started the business in 2012 and it developed over time.

"We started the business in Oswestry and it's got bigger and bigger, my parents have helped me a lot.

"We try to come to all the local markets, especially vintage ones."

Friends Natalie Jones, 36, and Debbie Ellis-Thomas, 49, were buying some cocktails at the festival.

They had travelled from Llanrhaeadr for the event.

Natalie, a licensing officer, said: "We come here every year, it's brilliant, it's awesome. It's good to come here and try a variety of things, there's a lot of variety here."

Debbie, an occupational therapist, said: "We normally come together every year. We stay for a few hours and try some bits."

Gabi Shepherd was selling cocktails at the festival from Ludlow-based business Boozey Belles.

She said: "We like to try and do a lot of the local events, we came here last year too.

"People like gifts and these cocktails are very gifty."

Sisters six-year-old Erin, and five-year-old Millie Barton had convinced their great-grandmother Margaret Maguire to buy them some sweet treats from Ridiculously Rich by Alana.

Erin Margaret, from Oswestry, said: "We've bought a rocky road and a flapjack.

"If I've got the two we come here, they love the choices.

"I think the food festival is brilliant, we really look forward to it."

Amber Humphreys, from Ridiculously Rich by Alana, said it was the first year she had been to the festival.

The company was created last year after Alana Spencer won The Apprentice and won a partnership with Lord Alan Sugar.

Amber said: "It's been great, there's a lot of interest. The weather has held off raining which has helped."

One stall-holder has been running her business for 15 years or more and comes to Oswestry Food Festival yearly.

Chrissy Ashworth, of Temtations, from Corwen, said: "I come year after year after year, I'm one of the old souls here.

"It's a very good festival, I've been in the business for about 15 years or more.

"All the cakes are my own recipes, I only use butter and free-range eggs, nothing artificial at all, so I think that's why it's popular."

While most stalls were selling food and drink, two women were giving away cake and asking for a donation for charity.

Charlotte Phillips, 24, and Lizzie Kingdon, 25, from Hartshorns Cakes in Oswestry, were raising money for Hope House at the festival.

Charlotte said: "We've been trying to raise funds for different charities recently. This is the first year we're raising money for Hope House.

"We're giving away different flavours of cake and asking people for a donation for charity. It's a great local charity and they do so much great work.

"The festival is really really busy too."