Thousands attend Aldeburgh Food and Drink festival

Despite not officially knowing the exact number, event organisers have said this year's festival has surpassed the 10,000 visitors who travelled to the festival last year. 

The celebration of the county's food and drink has been running since 2006 at Snape Maltings, near Aldeburgh in east Suffolk.

Saffron and Ben Peckett enjoyed the food festival on Saturday. (Image: Lucy Taylor)

Headliners at the event were Michelin starred Tom Aikens, Tom Booton of The Grill at The Dorchester hotel, celebrated chef and cookbook author Ben Tish and Ivan Tisdall-Downes of Native at Penson.

Chef and cookbook author Ben Tish at the festival (Image: Lucy Taylor) People watching on as Ben Tish delivers a masterclass (Image: Lucy Taylor)

Event co-ordinator Bella Scarr said the weekend was a great success. 

"We have crunched the numbers and we actually had more people than last year," she added.

"Traders have done really well and the weather has been great, we had about 128 traders, 30 chefs and the Tom Aikens showcase went down really well.

People enjoying the late September event (Image: Lucy Taylor)

Thousands of people attended the event (Image: Lucy Taylor)

"All of our masterclasses have been completely fully booked and we had a family cookery lesson for under 16s running every 15 minutes or so and every single one was full. 

"Hopefully this will mean there will be lots of children in Suffolk making their own snacks at home."

Ms Scarr said she in the lead up to the event she wasn't sure how many people would turn up giving how poor the weather has been. 

George Clark, Henry Cullis, Bella Roland and Thomas Williams enjoying Aldeburgh Food & Drink Festival (Image: Lucy Taylor) People exploring the stalls at the festival (Image: Lucy Taylor)

However she was overjoyed to see how successful the food and drink festival has been this year. 

"I am really proud," she said.

Organisers say this year's attendance is better than 2023, where 10,000 people came to the festival. (Image: Lucy Taylor)

"Organisationally it has been even smoother than ever before and we have had a really great team of people working with us.

Tillie, Teddy and Joe Green enjoying Aldeburgh Food Festival on Saturday. (Image: Lucy Taylor)

"The weather this summer has been so rubbish so I feel like we have got to the end of September and people have really just hunkered down now.

"But to have a busier Saturday than we did last year is such an achievement when we are a bit later in the year and with the weather being so rubbish up until now I think it is a real testament to what we are doing."