MORE than 20,000 people enjoyed a weekend of Malton’s finest foodie entertainment.

Despite the early rain, the weather cleared as visitors both local and from further afield came to enjoy Malton’s fifth annual Food Lovers Festival.

Organiser Tom Naylor-Leyland said the whole town had been “absolutely packed”.

“It was really, really exciting to see so many people in Malton and the town so buzzing,” he said.

“The feedback we have had from producers has been really positive and by Sunday evening everyone was saying what a fantastic trading weekend they’d had.”

Cookery demonstrations, producer stalls, celebrity chefs and a wine and beer festival were among the attractions to the event.

Antonio Carluccio, Tom Parker Bowles and the Prince of Wales’s personal chef Visen Anenden were joined by renowned Yorkshire chefs cooking on stage in the Milton Rooms.

Food critic and writer Jay Rayner also talked about his new book during an interview with Selina Scott, and there were children’s events, a taste trail and festival radio.

Tom said there had been an amazing atmosphere in Malton enhanced by live music and local buskers.

“It is great that we have so many people who come to the festival from outside the local area as it shows them what a unique and charming place Malton is,” he said.

“Antonio said he was thrilled to see the way the event had grown since last year and said he was once again delighted to be part of it and the quality of everything.”

Tom said a personally-made bag of Malton’s finest ‘goodies’ was also now on its way to the Royal household.

“Visen had never appeared on stage publically at a festival before and said how much he had enjoyed it,” he said.

“He was a very charming man and also asked me to put together a selection of Malton’s finest food and I filled a bag with local beers, cheeses and other produce for him to give to His Royal Highness.”

Tom said the weekend had helped to put Malton on the map and further their ambitions to create a base for the best producers in Yorkshire and the country.

“Everyone worked together as a fantastic team. Volunteers, shopkeepers, Ryedale District Council and the town council put on a superb event,” he added.