'Taste of heaven' as Buckingham's popular Food Fair returns

Around 2,000 visitors flocked to Buckingham’s ninth annual Food Fair on Saturday.

The popular foodie event attracted record 1,500 visitors inside Buckingham Community Centre, with yet more people visiting the street food sellers positioned around the outside of the building.

The thousandth visitor was presented with an Easter egg.

Visitors got to taste and test some of the best food and drink on offer from local traders - mostly from within a 30-mile radius of Buckingham - with one shopper describing the event as 'Foodie Heaven'.

Many of the traders completely sold out of stock during the day.

Lead councillor of the event, Fran Davies, said: “What a fantastic event with over 2,000 people enjoying the produce from the stalls and the traders in the sunshine.

"Thanks have to go to the town council team, but especially Bethanie, our business and administration apprentice, for all their hard work and organisational skills.

"Many of the traders were asking when the next one will be - I'm sure we're all looking forward to it.

"I was so happy to see so many smiling faces in Buckingham.”

Regular traders who have supported the event since the very first Food Fair in 2013 were joined by first-time traders such as MKS Food Distribution, Indian Orchard and Reasons To Season.

Smoothie bikes proved very popular, with demonstrations from local children, adults and even the Mayor of Buckingham, Margaret Gateley.

Customers chose their own ingredients and then raced against the clock to see how fast they could create their desired fruit smoothie.

The event also celebrated all of Buckingham's restaurants and food venues, with 500 new Foodie Buckingham maps handed out, showing all the different venues in the town.

Funding for the smoothie bike and foodie maps was provided by the government’s Welcome Back Fund through Buckinghamshire Council.

The Welcome Back Fund provides councils across England a share of £56 million from the European Regional Development Fund to support the safe return to high streets and help build back better from the pandemic.