A festival showcasing the finest fayre on offer in the north-east has been hailed a huge success by organisers.
Visitors flocked to the inaugural Deeside Local Food Festival yesterday to savour a bountiful feast of local delicacies.
Organisers said at least 1,300 visitors took part in the festival at Cults Academy.
The one-day event – which featured cooking demonstrations from Craig Wilson, the Kilted Chef from Udny Green’s Eat on the Green – could now become an annual event.
The school’s outside courtyard was transformed into a street cafe where gourmets could pick dishes from as far afield as Malaysia and Mexico.
A hog roast by Andrew Gordon, also known as the Lean Butcher, proved popular as did pizzas from the wood-fired oven of Euan Abel of Inverurie.
Mary Mo, from Mary’s Kitchen, in Cove, brought a taste of the exotic to the festival with her aromatic Malaysian cooking, while Cults duo Robbie Moult and Calum Wright, of FreshMex, provided authentic Mexican street food.
There were also cakes by Marianne’s Market and luxury ice-cream from Stew ‘n’ Drew’s.
The farmer’s market also proved a massive draw selling a host of produce including homemade cheeses, spicy pickles, jams, fruit, vegetables and locally-reared meat.
Over half the producers who took part came from within a 20-mile radius.
The festival was organised by food interest group, the Mixing Bowl, as a celebration of The Year of Food and Drink Scotland 2015.
It was funded by the Community Food Fund.
Organiser Sarah Misra said: “We are absolutely delighted with how well the event went and the success of the farmers’ market shows the appetite for local food in the area.
“It was a huge success.”