PEOPLE will be able to get a taste of local regional food and drink when eat:Taunton returns to the county town.

The celebration of great produce is being staged in Hammet Street on Saturday, May 8.

It is being organised by Bev and Sarah Milner Simonds, of eat:Festivals, whose mission is to "reconnect residents with the productive landscape that surrounds them".

Their social enterprise has grown since it started in 2012 to now host 23 events in Somerset, Devon, South Gloucestershire and Dorset each year.

In a joint statement, Bev and Sarah said: "We know that weekend shindigs, days out and socialising have all been turned on their heads over the past year with plans disrupted and many regular events cancelled.

"In 2021 we are hoping for the best, but ensuring our plans include a worst-case scenario.

"We managed to deliver six socially distanced and Covid-secure events between lockdowns in 2020 and we are thrilled with the support from local council officers and support services in planning a fresh series of adapted markets in 2021."

eat:Festivals, which is also staging eat:Yeovil in the churchyard of St John's on May 22, will be showcasing the micro and small producers from across the region, many of whom have not been to a live market for over a year.

Bev and Sarah added: "Covid restrictions meant many event organisers weren’t able to adapt their model to enable them to continue trading and this cut off a vital revenue stream for these family businesses.

"We have changed how we work and are thrilled to be back curating great food and drink markets."

eat:Taunton and the other events are free to attend and feature around 60 food and drink producers well-spaced, with some socially distanced entertainment.

They are all open air and will have measures in place to minimise the risk of Covid-19 transmission.

Bev and Sarah said: "We are asking visitors to keep local, plan their visit and abide by the latest government advice.

"Traders who had only just started out when the pandemic restrictions hit were some of the hardest hit by the lack of events, so we are launching a new support initiative, Start Out Strong, to help them. We welcome applications from new producers all year round."

FULL PROGRAMME OF EVENTS:

eat:Minehead, April 10.

eat:Weston-super-Mare, April 17.

eat:Lyme Regis, April 24.

eat:Castle Cary, May 1.

eat:Taunton, May 8.

eat:Clevedon, May 15.

eat:Yeovil, May 22.

eat:Burnham-on-Sea, May 29.

eat:Portishead, August 14.

Honiton Gate to Plate, August 21.

eat:Chipping Sodbury, August 28.

eat:Wellington, September 4.

eat:Yeovil - part of Super Saturday, September 18.

eat:Weston-super-Mare, September 25.

eat:Tiverton, September 26.

eat:Minehead, October 2.

eat:Nailsea, October 9.

eat:Teignmouth, October 16.

eat:Burnham-on-Sea, October 23.

WINTER FESTIVALS.

Taunton, November 27.

Nailsea, December 4.

Yeovil, December 11.

Weston, December 12.