The stalls were steaming, the crowds were gathering and a long-awaited food festival finally made its return after four years.
Organisers said visitors turned out in strong numbers as the Lynton and Lynmouth Food Festival was held on Saturday, March 14. The date matches the 2026 calendar provided.
Laura Whitfield, from Whitfield Events, said it was the first food festival the team had run in four years.
Laura said: “So this is the first food festival that we have ran in four years. We love the South West. We think it’s got some of the best food producers in the whole of the UK, so we really want to try and curate a really great offering for visitors and the local community.”
She said Lynton Town Hall was well suited to hosting an event of that kind, pointing to both its indoor and outdoor space.
Laura said: “Obviously we’ve got the beautiful Lynton Town Hall here, which lends itself to events, especially ones like this. We’ve got the little outside area, fabulous area inside, everybody comments on how stunning the building is.”
She added that visitors could also make a day of it by exploring the area, including the Cliff Railway, shops and nearby Lynmouth.
Laura said: “Who does not want to spend the day in Lynton and Lynmouth, especially on a day like today, going for a walk, going on the Cliff Railway and heading down to Lynmouth, doing a spot of shopping. Lynton and Lynmouth has pretty much everything that you would need for a great day out.”
She said the event had been busy, with organisers relieved that people had made the trip.
Laura said: “It’s been amazing so far. So really nice and bustly, which is just amazing. We are out on a little bit of a limb in Lynton so it’s always a concern that if people will travel, but luckily the weather has been on our side today and people are here. They seem to be enjoying it, as you can smell that all the foods on the go and it’s been a great day so far.”
Looking ahead, Laura said the only event currently booked by Whitfield Events in Lynton was its Christmas weekend festival at the end of November.
She said: “At the moment, we only have our Christmas weekend festival booked in so that is at the end of November. Again, here in Lynton, it’s in the town hall. That is a shopping weekend, so a big market in the town hall and all of the shops are open in the local area.”
