A SMALL food festival in Mendip brought a 'buzz' to the town at the weekend. 

The leader of Mendip District Council (MDC) has celebrated the success of a Little eat:Festival in the newly-refurbished Shepton Mallet market place. 

The free-to-attend food and drink event took place on Sunday, August 8 and showcased food and drink from local producers, accompanied by street entertainment and live music. 

The event was commissioned by MDC and was funded by the European Regional Development Fund to help bring paying customers back to local towns after the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on footfall. 

The leader of MDC, Councillor Ros Wyke, said: "We are thrilled to have such a variety of food festivals pop up in our towns this summer.

"There was a great range of stalls and it’s a wonderful opportunity to encourage the community and visitors back to the high street.

"I really enjoyed my visit. I bought some locally made fudge and charcuterie, and called in to several high street shops and cafes.

"There was a real buzz in Shepton square, making use of the new surface, and it felt good to see some familiar faces again."

Somerset County Gazette:

Before coming to Shepton Mallet, the award-winning eat:Festivals appeared in Street and Glastonbury earlier this summer. 

The final Little eat:Festival in this series will take place in Wells on the Cathedral Green on Sunday, September 5. 

The festivals were founded by Bev and Sarah Milner Simonds in their hometown, Burnham-on-Sea, in 2012. 

They now host more than 20 major food and drink festivals every year in Somerset, Devon, South Gloucester and Dorset. 

For more information about Somerset's eat:Festivals, visit: www.eatfestivals.org