FOOD producers and visitors from across the North West flocked to East Lancashire this weekend for a taste of some of the best culinary delights the region has to offer.

A host of traditional and exotic food and drink was on show as the 9th annual Lancashire Food Festival got under way in Accrington.

The festival is just one of the events forming part of this year's Taste Lancashire, a series of food and drink related activities planned across the county between now and April 16 and boasting the famous Pendle Witches as its theme.

Events include farmers' markets, farm shop demonstrations, restaurants offering meals using local produce and a play based around the Pendle Witch story.

Tomorrow the Fat Giraffe in Padiham will celebrate its first birthday with a four course Lancashire dinner and later this month minibus tours will be offering people the chance to enjoy the Pendle Witch Experience, a tour around the villages at the heart of the legend, Fence, Roughlee and Newchurch.

As the event got under way an array of food and drink welcomed visitors to the festival in Accrington from traditional regional produce such as sarsasparilla and Lancashire cheese to more exotic offerings like ostrich meat, beef and stilton sausages and even vegetarian black pudding.

Cookery demonstrations by chef Philippa James and tutored wine sessions helped give visitors ideas of what to do with the goodies they had bought.

Street entertainment and music and dancing in the town centre was provided by The Singleton Cloggers, Amounderness Ladies Morris Team , Accrington Pipe Band, Saddleworth Clog and Garland Dancers, Colne Royal Morris Men, Britannia Coconut Dancers of Bacup, Clogaire and the The Real Macaws.

Oswaldtwistle Mills and Haworth Art Gallery also laid on activities.

Eddie Cowpe, of Huntley's of Samlesbury farm shop, was just one of the local producers at the festival with his range of award winning ice creams.

He said: "We have been coming here for around three years now and this year again has been very successful. It's great to see so many local producers here and so many visitors coming to see and taste what we have to offer."

David Kitson, managing director of Farmhouse Direct, based in Bleasdale in the Trough of Bowland, said: "This is definitely the best year so far and we have had a stall here for the last seven years. It is heartening to see people so interested in local food."

Visitor Margaret Brown, who travelled from Bolton for the event, said: "I came last year and was very impressed with the variety and quality of everything on offer. I always try to buy local produce if I can so this was a great chance to stock up."

David Jackson, of Bacup, added: "It's so much nicer to come somewhere like this and talk to people who know about the food and are interested in it, rather than just doing the weekly shopping at the supermarket."