First ever Market Drayton Ginger and Spice Festival - with pictures
Market Drayton was spiced up for its first food festival this weekend.
Hundreds of people flocked to the town for the event which celebrated the culinary, heritage and historical links of spices, food and gingerbread to the town.
Stall holders praised the visitors who steadfastly remained in the streets during a downpour on Saturday afternoon.
The event boasted two celebrity chefs, James Sherwin and Chris Burt.
James, from Whitchurch, who appeared on the Channel 4 show The Taste alongside Nigella Lawson and was a contestant on MasterChef, was involved in two events during the festival.
He opened a 'Wild Spice' pop-up restaurant on the eve of the festival, treating diners to a seven-course meal, and led a foraging course on the Saturday.
Festival organiser Julia Roberts said the foragers were thrilled when they found crayfish in the river.
James said: "I was delighted to be taking part in a festival which celebrates the local culinary heritage on one of Shropshire’s most fantastic foodie towns, Market Drayton.”
“The first annual Ginger and Spice Festival in Market Drayton celebrated the local heritage connections of spices and I thoroughly enjoyed educating visitors about British alternatives which can be found in hedgerows and along canal banks.
“We found some local gastronomic treasure as well as having some fun along the way.”
Chef Chris Burt from the Mytton and Mermaid got creative with gingerbread in his festival demonstration, using it to create a starter, main course and a dessert.
Julia of RockIT events, said the festival had been a great success.
She said that aim was to grow the festival and for it to be an annual event which will boost visitors to the town and generate more business for locals shops, restaurants, cafes and pubs.
"Market Drayton has historic links with spices and is the home of gingerbread. Today one of our main sponsors, Billingtons, is still creating gingerbread in the town.
"The stallholders said the people of Market Drayton were very resilient, remaining at the festival despite the rain. Our aim was to give the event a flavour of a traditional spice market and that was a appreciated by the visitors."
She said dozens of people including many families took part in the town trail competition.
"We wanted to help people understand more about the links that Market Drayton has to spices and to gingerbread and the town trail led people on a history walk."
"The aim is to grow the festival and for it to be an annual event."
