PENSIONER Ida Kemp knows a thing or two about traditional grub.

And after decades of tucking into Lancashire cheese she wasn't sure anything else would do.

But her loyalty was put to the test when a Lancashire blue cheese, still so new it has yet to be named, was unveiled to foodies in Accrington this week.

And Ida, 73, of Shadsworth, Blackburn, gave it a 10 out of 10 and said: "It was very nice. It was lovely, the best cheese I have had in a long time."

The cheese stall was one of 19 stalls with only three local farms opting to stay away due to the recent foot and mouth outbreak.

And Ida wasn't the only one to discover a new favourite.

Friends Anne Allsup, 54, of Clayton-le-Moors and Ann Parkinson, 52, from Accrington were visiting the festival for the first time and said they would definitely return next year.

Mrs Allsup said: "I've bought so many different things, including veranty pork sausage tried it for the first time and it was delicious."

Mrs Parkinson sampled sasparilla from Fitzpatrick's herbal health store, Rawtenstall.

Andrew Holt, proprietor of Irelands Black Pudding stall, which is based in Waterfoot, said he would be returning next year.

He said: "I was impressed with the amount of people the event has attracted.

"It was like a stampede when they opened the doors." Andrew labelled his most unusual black pudding as the French Boudin Noir and said he had given away more than 400 samples.

Martin Teese, assistant manager at Paintins Butchers, in Whalley Road, Accrington, said: "The event has been so successful we had almost ran out of stock within an hour of opening." Also at the event was owner and founder of Blackburn's Chocolate House Susan Bristow, who was giving wide-eyed viewers demonstrations on how she makes her delicious delights.

Susan and her two staff make between 10,000 and 50,000 chocolates every week, with their speciality being a chocolate coach and horses which takes two days to make -- but she declined to give her secret recipe of these.

And Burnley brewers Moorhouses were on hand to give away their award-winning tipple, Black Cat, as well as the famous Pendle Witches Brew.

General Manager of Moorhouses, Nigel Craig, said: "It's the top quality ingredients which gave Black Cat its wonderful taste."

Hyndburn Borough Council tourism officer Cathy Tattersall said they would never have anticipated how many visitors would pass through the doors.

She said: "We have had more visitors than ever before, in excess of 3,000.

"Luckily the recent foot and mouth outbreak didn't put too many people off." OYEZ! OYEZ! Great Harwood Town Cryer Joe Baron gets to grips with a shellfish (main picture), while Mark Duckworth, of Dales Butchers, eats all the pies!