THE public is being asked to have its say on the best food and drink producers in Gloucestershire during a special day organised as part of this year's Taste of Gloucestershire Awards.
The Gloucester Citizen and Gloucestershire Echo have teamed up with the Gloucester Quays for the Gloucester Quays Food Festival later this month.
Visitors to the first day of the festival on July 18 – designated Taste of Gloucestershire Day – will be asked to visit producers at the event and nominate their favourites.
These entries will then go forward to be judged for the awards which take place on October 21.
The food festival, which runs from July 18 to July 20, will include demonstrations by top chefs including Saturday Kitchen host James Martin and celebrity baker Paul Hollywood.
The baking theme will remain prominent on the first day with a Food Festival Cake Taste-Off to allow visitors to show off their baking skills, as well as a baking demo from Great British Bake Off winner Frances Quinn.
There is space for 40 Victoria sponges and 40 sets of summer cupcakes to be entered in the competition, at time slots of either 11am or 2.30pm.
An expert judging panel, including Ms Quinn will rate the entries on their presentation and taste, awarding first and second places in each category, with prize packages for the winners. Live baking demos on the day include one at 4.15pm by Ms Quinn as well as another by Leckhampton-based Contemporary Cake Designs at 1pm.
Visitors can also bring their family recipes along to the Gloucestershire Media recipe tree where they can pin on their own family favourite dish and take someone's dish to share from it. Free cooking demos for children will also take place on the day, as well as music on the green lawn area. The Taste of Gloucestershire Food and Farming Awards, will take place for the fourth time later this year.
Entries close on August 15, with the winners announced at an award ceremony on October 21. A list of the 13 categories in the awards appears alongside.
To enter, visit digital-thisis.co.uk/
gloucestershire/taste.
To sign up for the cake taste-off, visit gloucesterquays foodfestival.co.uk
