MUDDY brilliant!

Thousands of visitors attended the Colchester Food and Drink Festival to sample the wide and varied offerings.

Downpours couldn’t dampen the spirits as visitors donned their wellies and marched through the mud to treat themselves to a variety of cuisine from around the world, as a well as a tipple or two at the more than 120 stalls.

The annual event, at Colchester’s Lower Castle Park on Saturday and Sunday, has become a favourite fixture in the calendar.

There were indoor and outdoor stalls, including many tucked inside the Big Top area.

Organisers laid on a series of activities across the two days, including Rose Show displays, live music, cookery demonstrations from top celebrity chefs, and much more.

Joint organiser Don Quinn said: “It was a tribute to our team and the people of Colchester that we had a wonderful festival.

“I have never seen Castle Park so wet in 20 years of running events.

“We had a lake where we were supposed to have 20 stalls and after a lot of work and six hours’ sleep over three days, we did it.

“Colchester has been let down by promoters in the past and we were absolutely determined the show would go on.”