THE wait is nearly over for food-lovers across Burnham as the town prepares for its fifth annual Food and Drink Festival this weekend.

With more than 90 traders offering all kinds of ‘foody’ delights from Thai to Caribbean, to American barbecue to Somerset bacon rolls, pies and cheese there will be something for everyone’s taste... literally.

Event organiser Beverley Milner Simonds told the Weekly News: “Preparations are nearly complete and we’re really looking forward to what will be our fifth food festival.

“We’re so pleased that it’s become such a large event in the Burnham calendar and hope that everyone will come down and sample all of the great local produce that will be on offer.”

The stalls will open at 9am on Saturday with the festival free to attend and the competitions free to enter.

There will be the Great Burnham Brew-Off where anyone can bring a bottle of their home-brewed beer, infusion or liqueur along.

The ever-popular Great Burnham Bake-Off will see families, individuals and professional bakers compete in front of the judging panel, who were announced last week in the Weekly News.

And finally The Great Burnham Burn-Off, a chilli-eating contest which this year will feature a bonus challenge with the team working with Passion and Soul BBQ to create a hot chicken wing challenge for those that like their wings seriously hot. Professional chefs will be giving demonstrations from midday on The KDS Fresh Ideas Stage featuring local young talent, a foraged food expert and a Japanese chef all cooking a variety of game dishes.

For younger visitors there will be giant tractors, cute sheep, and a face painter will be on hand with plenty of seating for the parents to take the weight off your feet and listen to the buskers.

There will also be storytelling sessions and activities in the library if the kids want a bit of quiet time.

FESTIVAL TIMETABLE

9am Doors open
9am workshops kick off in Somerset Skills & Learning
(Princess Street)
11am Entries close for The Great Burnham BrewOff
(Princess Theatre)
1200 KDS Fresh Ideas Stage: Hannah Bird (Baptist
Church, College Street)
1pm KDS Fresh Ideas Stage: Chris Westgate & Kieran
Lenihan (Baptist Church, College Street)
1:30pm The Great Burnham Brew-Off winners &
champions announced (Princess Theatre)
2pm Entries close for the Great Burnham Bake-Off
(Somerset Skills & Learning)
2pm KDS Fresh Ideas Stage: Olly Jackson (Baptist
Church, College Street)
2:30pm Hot Wings Challenge (outdoor stage on
College Street)
3pm KDS Fresh Ideas Stage: Hideki Koike (Baptist
Church, College Street)
3:30pm The Great Burnham Burn-Off (outdoor stage
on College Street)
4pm The Great Burnham Bake-Off winners and
champions announced (Somerset Skills & Learning)
FOR more information and a downloadable map visit
VISITORS will be able to sample cuisine from all www.burnhamonseafoodfestival.org