THOUSANDS of people flocked to the 'phenomenal' Highcliffe Food and Arts Festival for a gastronomic gala.

The village high street, lined with food and drink stalls from one end to the other, was absolutely rammed with visitors was the recreation ground.

There were lengthy queues for everything from Tandoori wraps and paella to Greek gyros, olives, bread, cheese, pancakes, fine wines bratwurst - and pretty much everything else.

It was the time the festival had been held since 2019 and organisers admitted it had been a difficult time for its community of volunteers.

Traders came from far and wide to ply their trade - one stallholder, Tom Henry of the Great British Cheese Company came all the way from Crewe.

Olives n' Stuff boss Chris Lugg from Wiltshire imports his fare from Seville - his father owns an olive grove there.

He said: "There is a great buzz here and it's really nice to see many people of different ages, especially young families. I am also really impressed the just how vibrant the centre of Highcliffe is.

"There are very few empty shop units and that's not how I remembered it the last time I came here."

Lindsay Nightingale from Top Gun Catering in Christchurch had two stalls side-by-side, one selling liqueurs, the other Greek street food doing a roaring trade.

"We have never done Highcliffe before but it's great. There is a terrific atmosphere and of course the weather is fantastic. People are flowing in and it's a perfect day."

On the recreation ground there were dozens of other stands, including artwork and books and musical entertainment ran throughout days, on the main stage and at the other end of the village on the Tesco Express stage.

In the Marquee on the Green, a line-up of celebrity chefs including Jean-Christophe Novelli and Lesley Waters pulled in the audiences with their cookery demonstrations.

They were joined by leading chefs from local restaurants and hotels including the Chewton Glen, the Jetty, Christchurch Harbour Hotel, The Oaks and the Lord Bute.

Jean-Christophe told the Echo: "It is an honour and a privilege to come back, forty years since I first came here after leaving France at the age of 21. Highcliffe was my very first address here when I was at the Chewton Glen."

Festival co-director Mary Reader, described the event as phenomenal.

She said: "It has really brought the village alive."

"We have probably had around 30,000 people here over the two days, double what we've ever had before. We have had so many people say how much they enjoyed themselves."