BANK holiday Monday promises a great day of tasty nosh and entertainment when the Great Malvern Food Festival returns to town.

Tempting scents of cooking will be lingering over the town centre as the Priory churchyard plays host to some of our finest local chefs, who will be sharing their secrets with festival-goers.

Among the talented cooks who will be sharing favourite recipes is Matt Slocombe of the Crown Inn, Woolhope, near Ledbury, with has been named one of the best British venues for Sunday lunches.

Lizzie Hughes of Malvern-based Our Lizzie cooking school, will show how to make vegan fine fare from healthy beans and pulses, as well as seasonal produce grown locally.

Peter Cook will be sharing his award-winning bread recipes and the girls of Malvern St James will be showing off their culinary prowess.

And Matthew Lloyd of the Fabulous Cob Oven Company, will be hosting a do-it-yourself kids’ pizza party, giving youngsters the chance to make and bake their own pizzas.

Live music comes from Second Line, fusing classic jazz with pop, rock funk and soul hits, and from the ever-popular Malvern Rock Choir, and chef/street entertainer Mark Abbott will be making people laugh.

And the festival will also feature more than 60 stalls offering the finest local produce from home-made fudge and sweet crepes to Caribbean and Mexican food.

Among the producer who will be showcasing their wares will be the Handmade Scotch Egg Company, Urban Herbs, Tiggs Dressings, the Friday Beer Company, Teme Vale Victuallers and Elgar Wines.

And Emma’s Pigs will be offering gourmet hot dogs, Feisty Flavours their range of handmade jams and chutneys, and Kuskus Foods their tasty selection of falafels.

The previous day will see the return of the Malvern Munch Food Walk, a seven-mile ramble over and around the hills, which offers walkers the chance to taste great local food and drink whilst listening to live music at stops along the way.

Around 5,000 visitors flocked to last year’s festival, making it the biggest and most successful event in the series yet.

Tickets cost £25 for adults and £15 children including all food and drink, and are available from the Tourist Information Centre in Church Street or from 01684 892289.

Malcolm Salisbury of Malvern Hills District Council said: “This year’s food festival promises to be bigger and better than ever and is a fantastic showcase of the produce available in our area. I’d urge people to come and discover some of the mouthwatering morsels available.”