WORCESTERSHIRE is hosting a host of food events as part of a humanitarian festival.

The Nationwide Festival of the Humanities is running in the UK from Thursday November 17 until Friday November 25.

Worcestershire is celebrating its food heritage during the festival by holding a food fest week.

Maggie Andrews, professor of cultural history at The University of Worcester is organising the events along with some of her postgraduate students.

She said: "The events are all part of the Nationwide Festival of the Humanities which aims to engage the public with the study of humanities in universities and academics research.

"In Worcestershire we are focussing on looking at food as a way into thinking about people's everyday lives in times of conflict in the past.

"This year we wanted to do it in combination with a number of heritage sites in the area.

"We hope that it will help educate people about the war, and to get people thinking what they could and couldn't eat during the war."

One of the events of the week is titled 'Talk and Taste: How the Pershore Plum Won the Great War.'

This takes place on Monday November 21 from 6.30pm until 8.30pm at St Swithuns Church on Church Street in Worcester.

Pershore residents cultivated and preserved fruit and vegetables to combat wartime food shortages, helped by land girls, boy scouts, German POWs and Belgian refugees.

There will be samples of WW1 food to try, accompanied by mulled wine including jam made from the Pershore plums, a staple food for troops during the conflict.

Booking is advisable at www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/talk-and-taste-how-the-pershore-plum-won-the-great-war-tickets-26900565315?utm_term=eventname_text

On a similar theme, Jamfest will take place at Croome Court on Saturday November 19 from 11am to 4pm.

This will be an exhibition about jam and plums in Pershore during the First World War.

There will be stories of land girls and boys scouts who gathered fruit alongside an exhibition about the formation of Pershore WI 100 years ago and a chance to taste jam made from Pershore plums.

This exhibition is part of the official opening of the Plumlines Project at Croome Court.

Booking is essential at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/jamfest-tickets-26900751873

An event entitled 'Carrot lollies, Balcony pigs and Woolton Pie: talk, taste and tell' will take place at The Hive on Thursday November 24 from 12:30pm to 3pm.

This event includes a series of activities around the use of food as a weapon during World War Two.

This will include talks by Dr Lisa Pine (South Bank University) and Elspeth King (University of Worcester) as well as displays of rations, tasting of carrot marmalade, a quiz about what participants would eat and a debate about how food plays a central role in conflict.

This event is particularly orientated towards a 15-19 year old audience who often study WW2 at school.

Booking is essential at https://e-services.worcestershire.gov.uk/LibraryEvents/EventBooking.aspx?EventID=254&id=323

A 1916 Foodfest involving bread, jam and Christmas puddings is also happening at Avoncroft Museum of Historic Buildings in Stoke Heath, Bromsgrove on Thursday November 17 from 6pm to 9pm.