THOUSANDS of people turned out to sample a wide variety of tasty delights at this year’s Saltburn Food Festival.

The town was packed out with visitors who were able to enjoy the tastes and smells from more than 70 local traders, as well as experience cookery lessons and displays on Sunday.

Event organiser Lorna Jackson, who runs family business Real Meals in the town, was delighted the festival keeps going from strength to strength three years after its launch.

“What an amazing day,” she said.

“It is very humbling to see the see people flock to the festival today. There is a real sense of community surrounding the festival and we are really humbled at the support and encouragement we receive from the people of the town who get behind it.

“This really shows the town at its best and I’m incredibly proud to both live and work here.”

Visitors were able to take advantage of a distinctive vintage bus for the festival’s park and ride scheme to ensure as many people as possible could enjoy the day.

Special guests, including TV chef Peter Sidwell, Richard Ingram, Gilly Robinson and BBC Tees foodie expert Catherine Hill, were cooking up a treat at a live outdoor Cookery Theatre.

TV chef Peter Sidwell said: “It’s my first visit to Saltburn and an amazing town it is. The festival is just incredible and the place has been absolutely buzzing all day long.”

Richard Ingram, a chef and lecturer at Middlesbrough College, said: “Last year was just incredible and today has just been amazing yet again. The crowds have been a great support all day long, and it has just been a great joy for me and the team from the college to have been part of an amazing day.”

The free festival also included a vibrant street market with around seventy of the best independent food producers from the North East and North Yorkshire, a children’s kitchen academy, live music, world street food, outdoor dining and picnic areas.

Saltburn-born food writer Catherine Hill said: “What an absolutely fantastic day, wonderfully overwhelming, nut just fantastic. It is incredible to have a festival like this on our doorstep – it was absolutely wonderful all day long.”

For those wanting to sample more locally produced food and goods should pop along to the nest Saltburn Farmers Market on Saturday, September 12.