DROITWICH Spa held its first food and drink festival on Saturday and it attracted huge crowds, despite the unseasonable weather.

The town was packed with people from the minute the event opened at 10am and it continued to be busy all day and then into the evening in Victoria Square, where there was live music and entertainment.

More than 60 local food and drink producers attended and they were all delighted with the event and the turnout of shoppers. Many ran out of products before the festival ended and several went back to base to get more stock.

The winner of the Best Sausage Competition, Checketts of Ombersley, was staggered with the response and completely sold out of sausages and burgers.

Dave Checketts said: “We made an awful lot of sausages and didn’t really expect them all go but by 3pm were completely cleared out. What a great event, we were absolutely amazed by the response and we will definitely come back next year.”

Craig Thornton from the Worcestershire Farmers Market said it had been the best day’s trade he had ever had in Droitwich and many others said they had a fantastic day of trading.

Rajesh Rai, from Mendi Indian Vegetarian Restaurant in Wychbold, said “This is our very first festival and we were absolutely blown away by the response. We had to go back four times to get more food and even then we completely sold out.”

Festival organiser Patrick Davis said: “It was a fabulous day and I am so pleased that the producers did well and most importantly that the people of Droitwich Spa responded so well and obviously really enjoyed the event.

"My aim from the start was to build a food and drink festival for Droitwich Spa to be proud of and for it to become established as one of the leading food and drink festivals in the Midlands – so we seem to have got off to a flying start.”

For more details, see www.droitwichspa.com/foodanddrinkfestival