MORE than 15,000 visitors turned out for the third eat:Wellington food and drink festival last Saturday.

The welcome change in the weather brought out the crowds and organisers were delighted with the success of the event.

Co-organiser Bev Milner Simonds said: “We are thrilled with how eat:Wellington went on Saturday. We have had positive feedback from visitors who liked the range and quality of producers on show, and the layout.

“Many of our producers brought more stock than ever before and we still have many selling out and reporting record sales.

“We hope everyone enjoyed the chef demos, festival soundtrack, cookery school, Indian dancing, face painter, buskers, the balloon modeller and circus skills.”

Co-organiser Sarah Milner Simonds added: “We want to say a big thank you to members of the Taunton Eagles and the Army Cadets who supported the event by stewarding all day.

“Our initiative to be 100 per cent single use plastic free and use compostable packaging worked very well – but we know we need even more bins.”

Bev added: “Thank you to Wilkie May & Tuckwood, Buses of Somerset and Naked Signs, who helped us with our publicity.

“Many thanks also to Hawksmoor Investment Management, Porter Dodson, Old Mill and the Retreat Caravan Park whose support makes the festival possible.”

eat:Wellington will return – subject to consultation and licensing – on September 7 2019.