THE annual north west Food Lovers Festival returns next month to Tatton Park and organisers are predicting big crowds for the three-day food and drink feast.

More than 100 of the regions best food and drink producers will assemble under the huge, football pitch sized marquee in the centre of Tatton Park providing visitors with a great chance to taste, try and buy great flavours.

Organiser Stephen Wundke is looking forward to a great turn out across the weekend.

He said: "It has always been a terrific event but this year is something special. We have teamed up with Love Food Festivals and this means we now have more interactive events than any event in the country.

"We have always had a great Chef demo stage and that remains the case with Simon Rimmer headlining our celebrity chefs but in addition we have kids cooking events where children can come and learn to prepare meals, we have a BBQ demonstration stage, a kitchen where you can learn how to fillet fish, prepare meat, make pasta and more and we have a tasting kitchen where you can help prepare the meals and then eat them and all these activities are all free.

"It really is something special."

Entry prices have been lowered, thanks to a sponsorship deal with Fisher and Paykel and Broil King, from £8 down to £6 and for the first time ever your car park fee to Tatton park is included free if you buy your ticket online in advance a further saving of £5 per vehicle.

Love Food boss Hayley Instone added: “We have visited Tatton Park a number of times and when we discussed with Stephen the opportunity to expand the Food Lovers Festival and make it more interactive he was as excited as our sponsors.

"We think this will be a very special event and of course it is set in the one of the best parks in the UK so I do hope foodies from all over will come and visit us.”

For more information about the event go to nwfoodloversfestival.co.uk.

The festival runs from October 21 to 23 opening at midday on Friday and 10am on Saturday and Sunday.

It closes each night at 5pm.

Adults pay £6 per person and children under 12 are free.