ORGANISERS of this year’s Shobdon Food Festival have assembled the biggest mix yet of talented local chefs and artisans to demonstrate at the event, which takes place on Saturday and Sunday, June 29 and 30.

Among the line up, which includes lessons in bread making, Indian cookery, growing and cooking with herbs and plenty of seasonal British fare, are a food forager and a cake baker specialising in unusual dietary needs.

When Julia Thomas from Hereford was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004, shortly after discovering she was pregnant, she radically changed her diet as part of a lengthy health battle.

She cut out all dairy products and after giving birth to her son, Charlie, realised there was a gap in the market for cakes she was able to eat that weren’t full of additives and preservatives. Through her company, Cake Angels, she now specialises in wheat and gluten-free creations and will be at Shobdon to show just what amazing cakes you can bake even with dietary restrictions.

Also at Shobdon this year is Liz Knight of Fine Forage Foods who has a passion for all things wild. She creates amazing flavour combinations and recipes from ingredients that grow in the fields and hedgerows and when not blending herbs and spices or picking petals, Liz runs workshops on rural food skills.

For lovers of more traditional fare, demonstrations by top local chefs include Andy Link from The Riverside at Aymestrey, Dean Banner from Ludlow’s Parkway Restaurant and Matthew Handley from The Stagg Inn at Titley, the first pub in the country to be awarded a coveted Michelin Star.

For something spicy, don’t miss demonstrations by Rayeesa Asghar Sandys from Rayeesa’s Indian Kitchen in Hereford, artisan bakery from Peter Cook, Price the Bakers, Ludlow and top Hereford chef Stuart Leggett from Herefordshire College of Technology.

This year’s Shobdon Food Festival is taking place at Shobdon Airfield as part of the Shobdon Food and Flying Festival with Herefordshire Aero Club’s aviation weekend.

Along with more than 50 of the region’s finest food and drink producers, bespoke arts and crafts, static aircraft displays, trial flights, live music and family entertainment complete the packed weekend programme.

For further details, including a full schedule of demonstrations and other attractions visit shobdonfoodfestival.co.uk.