Thousands of food lovers visited Accrington to enjoy the Lancashire Food Festival – and the sunny weather.

Temperatures topped 20 degrees as visitors were treated to rare foods like ostrich and bison burger and a wide selection of food favourites including Lancashire hotpot, hand reared beef, kippers and home-made chocolate.

Celebrity chef James Martin was this year’s star attraction and helped cook up a storm with three cookery demonstrations and a book signing on the Sunday.

Mr Martin, famous for presenting the popular BBC1 show Saturday Kitchen, visit ed the festival for a meal prepared and served by the NLTG’s Young Apprentices.

He cooked up haddock with Welsh rarebit and ham hock with deepfried duck egg at the North Lancashire Training Group’s Centre of Excellence. In between demonstrations, he also took time out to visit the Accrington Town Hall and see the 50 specialist producers attending to showcase the best of the regions food.

The 14th annual food festival also featured a ‘children’s foodie’ workshop and wine tasting sessions throughout the weekend.

Former Coronation Street actor Sean Wilson, who played Martin Platt in the popular TV soap, was also at the event – selling his cheeses.

Visitors could also learn how to smoke a kipper with one of the regular visitors – The Port of Lancaster Smokehouse.