FOODIES attended this year's Highcliffe Food Festival in their thousands to sample some of the best Dorset produce and watch a selection of the best local chefs in the business.

This year's event, taking place throughout the weekend, boasted more than 85 stalls, with produce on offer including quality meats, cheeses and fish, artisan spirits, wines and beers.

A popular element for 2018 was the 'Lets Cook' demonstration theatre in the Methodist Hall, which was booked with a range of local chefs.

During the event, festival chairman Mary Reader said: "We are absolutely packed out, it is absolutely heaving.

"Things are going very very well, as good as we could have hoped for, but very comfortable, people can move around. We have excellent music and brilliant cooking presentations."

"I started the Christchurch Food Festival 19 years ago, and a few years ago I was asked of I could help getting something going at Highcliffe, and as I live in Highcliffe it seemed logical to try and do something for the village."

This year organisers took the decision to showcase cookery skills from local chefs, such as award-winning Alex Aitken from the Jetty and Harbour Hotel group; TV chef James Golding, the chef director of the Pig Group; Luke Matthews and Adam Hart from Chewton Glen, and Colin Nash from the Three Tuns.

Visitor Margaret McColl told the Echo: "Some of these chefs have been astonishing; I've picked up quite a few tips to take back to my own kitchen.

Meanwhile, April Roberts said: "It is great to come out, support the local community and local producers at events like this. I'm all for them."

The festival also boasted two stages featuring live music, with performances from the Coda Music Centre, Barton Court Studio, Highcliffe Charity Players and Bournemouth Musical Theatre company.

There was also a mobile cookery demonstration unit called the ‘Artisans Stage’ which featured short demonstrations from artisan food and drink producers.

Mrs Reader said: "This is not intended to be as big as the Christchurch Food Festival, it is more of a village festival with all of the community taking part. We have people from the library, the community centre, the local day nursery and social club."