DELICACIES from East Lancashire and beyond were on offer as Darwen hosted its second food festival.

Goods from around the world tempted thousands of visitors to the town centre for the Food and Craft Festival.

Among them were mayor Faryad Hussan and his mayoress Parveen, who arrived in time for the event’s opening at 10am on Saturday.

They browsed some of the 40 food stalls, 10 craft stalls, children’s rides, a ‘kids’ kitchen’, which offered hands-on cooking tips for youngsters, a recipe and cooking competition for culinary kings and queens, and cooking demonstrations.

The Darwen Heritage bus was also put on to give free rides at the festival, which lasted until 4pm.

Mother-of-two Debbie Walsh, 44, said: “We didn’t come last year but we thought we would check it out this time.

“The weather could have been better because it’s supposed to be summer but we enjoyed ourselves.

“The council definitely needs to do more things like this.”

Last year’s inaugural event, held on Saturday, October 4, featured 33 stalls and was organised on a £2,500 budget.

This year, Sunnyhurst councillor Brian Taylor was given a budget of £4,000 to cover three separate food festivals, two of which will be be held later this year.

Cllr Dave Smith said: “One will be held at Christmas and one will be on Saturday, September 5.”

Cllr Smith described Saturday’s festival as ‘first class’, and praised everybody involved.

Joe Appleby, 22said: “It was really good to see so many people in the town centre.

“I wasn’t going to buy anything but the smell made me hungry!”