PEOPLE flocked to Chorley town centre at the weekend to enjoy some delicious treats at A Taste of Chorley, the town’s annual food and drink showcase. Organised by Chorley Council and local traders, over 50 stalls lined the town centre streets offering everything from local grub and desserts to homemade cakes to food from around the world. Visitors also got the chance to enjoy a whole array of drinks, including a cocktail masterclass from Cosmopolitan, Proseccos from Copa Fizz and the locally made Cuckoo Gin from Brindle Distillery.

There was also the chance to pick up some top cooking tips with everyone from The Bees Country Kitchen to Gobins Family Butchers to Brinscall Baker taking a turn in the demonstration kitchen to cook up a range of dishes that delighted the crowds.

The Great Chorley Bake Off also saw some fantastic entries with prizes awarded in all three categories and The Body Coach, Joe Wicks, talked about his new book and offered advice later in the evening at St Michael’s Academy. Councillor Alistair Bradley, Leader of Chorley Council said:

“This weekend showed off the brilliant range of food and drink businesses we have here in Chorley, and it was fantastic to see so many people enjoying everything on offer, despite the wet weather on the Saturday. “The quality of food and drink was outstanding, and people got to learn how to make some delicious dishes with local businesses sharing their knowledge and giving advice in the demonstration kitchen.

“Extending A Taste of Chorley to two days worked really well, giving us a platform to continue building on the event and making it even bigger next year. We’ve had lots of great feedback and we’re hoping everyone will come back next year with even more varieties of food and drink added to the line-up.” The event was free to attend with people getting some top tips from local chefs, bakers and butchers who gave cooking demonstrations, alongside local artisan producers.

There was also some great family fun, including face painting, a climbing wall and small children’s rides. The trails around the town centre also proved popular, including the taste trail where participants sampled local foods and a children’s ‘fiver fest’ trail where the younger ones searched for the hidden Totally locally Chorley £5 notes. To find out more about events happening in the Chorley area, visit checkoutchorley.com