WITH sausages from St Ives, fresh eggs from Hilton, and preserves from Sawtry, Huntingdonshire s first ever Food and Drink Festival was given a tasty official launch on Thursday. The festival will take place this September and will celebrate and highlight

WITH sausages from St Ives, fresh eggs from Hilton, and preserves from Sawtry, Huntingdonshire's first ever Food and Drink Festival was given a tasty official launch on Thursday.

The festival will take place this September and will celebrate and highlight the quality food and drink offered by the district's food producers, chefs, restaurants, pubs, farms and cafes.

The message coming from the organisers is that the variety of food in Huntingdonshire will surprise most people, and this is the chance to discover all those tastes you may have been missing.

"When we started to organise this festival I saw people who said that there are only vegetables growing in Huntingdonshire," said Deni Darke, of Huntingdonshire District Council. "But this is not the case. I was astonished when I found out about all the items that are produced in the district."

Already a comprehensive list of events has been drawn up, but at a breakfast launch at Wood Green Animals Shelters in Godmanchester last week, HDC was encouraging more people to get involved in the festival and help put Huntingdonshire on the culinary map.

For eight days from September 8, special food and drink events will be taking place at all four of Huntingdonshire's market towns as well as at farms and food suppliers.

However, the main attraction will be a one-day food extravaganza at Wood Green Animal Shelters. Ms Darke said about 100 stalls will fill the main room at Wood Green, offering the visitors the chance to taste the local produce, watch cooking demonstrations, and get involved in some food crafts.

Away from Godmanchester, all the market towns will have bigger and better farmers' markets during the festival, Hinchingbrooke Country Park will host a teddy bears' picnic, restaurants will have special 'local' menus, there will be food quizzes in pubs, and even a sandwich-making competition.

And the organisers have said this is just for starters as more events have yet to be confirmed.

INFORMATION: Visit www.huntsfoodfestival.co.uk to find out about the latest events which are being added to the festival. Anyone wishing to get involved in the festival, either running an event of as a sponsor, can contact the organisers FAB! on on 0870 389 3210.