SOME of the county's leading culinary producers are busily preparing for a major food festival. 

Plans are well under way for Ulverston's annual Taste Cumbria food festival on May 28 and 29 where more than 50 traders will line the cobbled streets to offer up their wares.

An estimated 15,000 food fans basked in the sunshine of last year's festival, with visitor numbers up by 5,000 on the previous year. 

Festival organiser Marie Whitehead, director of CN Events, who organise the festival, said: “It is fantastic to see Taste Cumbria increasing in popularity. 

“The feedback we receive from stallholders and visitors is great - the traders’ biggest worry is making enough produce to keep up with demand as many of them sell out. Our challenge is to keep people coming back for more by finding new produce for people to try, and new talent to star on our demo stages. 

"There is an insatiable appetite for great food and drink in this county thanks to the variety and quality of the produce on offer here - we are proud to be a part of it.”

This year's event will welcome scores of food and drink producers from across the county to the small market town, offering a range of products, from homemade breads, chutneys, meats, cheese and vegetables, to alcoholic treats and homewares.

The highlight is the foodie market, which runs throughout Market Street, Brogden Street, New Market Street and Cross Street, where around 50 traders will be selling the best food, drink and dining-related products that Cumbria has to offer, including meals and snacks to eat on the spot. 

There will be a demo stage next to the Market Street war memorial, with free hourly demos from some of Cumbria’s best chefs and food and drink experts.

For child-friendly fun, families can head to Ford Park where there will be fun food-themed arts and crafts and and have-a-go activities for youngsters. 

The festival began life in 2010 to provide businesses with an economic boost following the devastating floods of 2009.

Since then, festivals have been held in Cockermouth and Keswick, in addition to Ulverston, receiving the support of the town council. 

James Asquith, owner of The Cheesecake Emporium has created his own brand of cheesecakes called Love Cheesecakes, a handmade individual cake company based in Carnforth. 

He experienced his first Taste Cumbria festival in Keswick in March, and swiftly booked for the forthcoming events in Ulverston and Cockermouth too. 

He said: "I'm really looking forward to a great weekend in Ulverston, particularly seeing the range of fantastic food and drink on offer. 

"Food festivals are the perfect showcase for businesses like ours and we know we won't only do great trade on the day, but will also be able to spread the word about everything else we have to offer. 

"It's great meeting people face-to-face as you can get their feedback on the spot - who knows what flavours we will have created by our next festival!" 

There are a few trade stand spaces left for food and drink producers. For more details, visit www.tastecumbria.com or call 01228 612000.