THE first Longridge Food and Drink Festival has been hailed as a great success by host organisers at the Corporation Arms.
"And we will definitely be holding another event like this next year!" said event manager Simon Edwards.
"As organiserswehadhopedfor 1,000 people over the weekend, and we managed to smash this by having 1,300 attend!"
North West television celebrity Stuart Hall gave the festival a rousing opening on Saturday morning, cajoling early attenders to sing "Roll out the Barrel' for Radio Lancashire.
He also made sure that opening colleague Longridge mayor Coun Rupert Swarbrick's hair was neatly combed, and urging everyone to 'digdeep'andbuyfromtheextensiverangeof stalls.
They featured both local and wider North West firms,giving those attending thetwo-day event the opportunity to purchase really festive goods –- and go backformore.
Also enjoyed were guest chef food demonstrations, starting with celebrity chef Brian Mellor, while the evening music events were exceptionally well supported
Simon added "The weekend was a huge success overall and the committee would like to thank everyone who attended, with a special thanks to Longridge Town, Ribble Valley and Lancashire County councils for their continued support."