THERE was food for thought at a free feast this weekend.

The annual Middlesbrough Town Meal was held in the town's Centre Square on Saturday (September 13) to celebrate home grown food from across the area.

Surplus food was donated from community gardens, allotments and private growers and turned into healthy soups and salads by dinner ladies at Whinney Banks Primary School.

There was also music from the Bilsdale Silver Band, a five-a-side football competition and the opportunity to take a nostalgic village bus ride to North Ormesby. There was also a cookery demonstration tent where tips on how to cook cheaply and healthily were given.

Middlesbrough Environment City Chair Councillor Julia Rostron said: “The Town Meal is a firm fixture on the town’s calendar, with the focus firmly on great, healthy and above all home-grown food

“Local growing is more popular than ever, and the meal is a chance for local people see produce from their own allotments and growing projects enjoyed by their fellow residents."