The first-ever Sidmouth Food Festival will take place in the town next month, it has been revealed.

There will be wine and cider tasting, music, demonstrations and food galore at the free event taking place on August 13, between 10am and 4pm, at Kennaway House.

The festival, which has received support from the East Devon Sustainable Development Fund and the Vision Group for Sidmouth, aims to promote local producers and businesses.

The day will be held in the venue’s Cellar Bar and on the lawn and will host 27 pitches offering everything from sausages, cheese and game to fudge, herbs and cake.

A demonstration will be held by Andy and Annette Witheridge of Sidford’s Salty Monk, as well as a soon-to-be-announced nationally renowned chef from the area.

Adults and children wanting to try their hand making pasta or pizza will also be invited to take part in an interactive demonstration.

The day’s musical entertainment will be provided by a choir and an acoustic group. More information will be revealed soon.

Organiser Kerry Gibbons, who also runs the town’s farmers’ market, said: “The festival is all about highlighting local food producers.

“I decided to organise the festival because I absolutely love food.

“I am very excited.

“It is all about local people providing good local food...It should be lovely.

“I hope everybody will come along and support the local businesses.”

Among the many stalls will be Angelchops’ cakes from Ottery St Mary; Devon Fishcakes; Trow Farm Fudge; Adam Davis of Flaming Good Pizza; The Filling Station and Fresh and Green Veg from Sidmouth; Peddlers Coffee; Pinnacle Icing; Gourmet Street Kitchen and Laurel Farm Herbs.

World Food will also be offering an array of chicken and vegetarian wraps and salad, while Chocolats de Caprine will have a variety of goat’s milk chocolates and alcoholic truffles.

Cookery writer Marion Turnbull will also have a sourdough bread stall as will Joy and John Eustace, of Bees Knees, who will be selling honey and other products made from their own bee hives.

As well as this, Ebb Tides will be selling seaweed nutritional supplements while Tess Stone will have a stall of gluten-free, vegan and sugar-free, flavour-filled sweets, savoury foods and chocolates.

Kerry said they had already made plans to make the Sidmouth Food Festival an annual event.

She added next year they were also looking to expand it and make it even bigger and better.

Visit www.visionforsidmouth.org/sidmouth-food-festival for more.