HIGHCLIFFE is gearing up for a busy weekend ahead of its annual food festival.

The two-day event returns to the village and is focused on showcasing the wealth of cookery talent in the region.

After successfully running over two days last year, the fourth instalment of the festival is filled with a packed out range of activities, demonstrations and traders this Saturday and Sunday.

Lymington Road will be closed through the village to allow more than 85 stallholders to sell their wares in the street.

Here’s your guide to what’s on when and where.

What’s happening where?

The popular market will be based on Lymington Road and buildings along the main road.

A range of activities will operate from the cookery hub in the Methodist Hall, including a “Let’s Cook” demonstration theatre with a number of local chefs.

The hall will also host a Kidz Kitchen for youngsters to improve the cooking skills. A Ready Steady Cook challenge will close the event on Sunday afternoon.

What’s new for this year?

An ‘Artisans Stage’ will be on offer for the first time at the event and it will showcase the wide-range of local expert food producers in Lymington Road.

What time is the festival open?

The festival will be open between 10am and 5pm on Saturday and 10am and 4pm on Sunday.

Who’s appearing at the festival?

Chairman and event co-ordinator Mary Reader will be joined by local award-winning chefs Alex Aitken, Luke Matthews, James Golding and Adam Hart.

The ‘Artisans Stage’ will host master chocolatier Kerry Witt, former head chef of Rick Stein’s in Australia Toby Bradley Watson, Korean foodie Young Shoo Shin, who will demonstrate Sushi and Kimichi, and vegan food will be showcased by Nichola Burdis from Tattiebogle.

Will parking be available at the event?

Limited parking space is available in Highcliffe. Pay & Display facilities will be available at the Wortley Road car park and the cliff top car park off Wharncliffe Road.

Where are the toilets?

There are public toilets at both the Wortley Road and Wharncliffe Road car parks.