FOR the first time in Colchester, festivalgoers sampled a taste of traditional Hungary at the town's debut Pork Feastival.

Looking at the sterile, vacuum-packaged meat products in shops, it is easy to gloss over the fact they were once part of a living pig or cow, explained organiser Gabor Balashazi, founder of Goulash Festivals UK.

By the time the array of spicy and stuffed sausages, black pudding, stewed, roasted and boiled cuts of pork arrived at Firstsite, they were thankfully already dead and busting with flavour.

However, the festival itself was a nod to Hungary's winter season when families cure and smoke their pork ready for the months ahead.

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Laszlo Santa stirring up something stewed

He said: "Pork feasts are very popular in our country, especially in the villages and countryside.

"Lots of families have pigs in the back yard and winter is the time to kill the pigs and preserve and smoke the meats for later.

"My aim is when a Hungarian walks in, they feel like they're at home, and people from other nations feel they are in Hungary.

"I want them to experience whatever belongs to our culture, so our traditions and customs."

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Aiden and Alethea Jacklin get painted up

As well as hot food stalls with food, drinks and sweet stuffs, there were vendors selling handmade crafts and artisan products.

Dad-of-two Gabor was dressed traditionally for the occasion alongside his sons, aged five and nine, and the folk musicians who entertained guests.

It paid off as the response was "brilliant", but now the focus is on the next dozen Goulash Festivals Gabor plans to hold across the country and in Colchester again.

He added: "It's like a moving circus. The idea for the Goulash Festival is about ten years old as I was inspired by Colchester's Medieval Festival, and the last one was in October 2017.

"It's all very exciting and I love to do it."

Gazette: Krisztina Koch, of Kristina Design, doing traditional embroidery