THE KM British Food and Drink Festival showed off all that is best about our native fare at the weekend.

More than 10,000 lovers of good food were at the two-day event held at the Hop Farm Country Park at Beltring, near East Peckham.

On offer were 65 trade stands, selling everything from chocolates and chutneys, to meats and cheeses.

TV chef Michael Barry gave several demonstrations of his culinary techniques during the weekend, while Mo Joslin, author of the recently-published Kentish Fare Millennium Recipes, gave examples of what she calls her historical cooking with recipes dating back to Tudor times.

The show was part-sponsored by Sainsbury's, who had their own experts on hand to talk to visitors about cooking with native vegetables, while Faverham-based brewer Shepherd Neame let the public into the secrets of its brewing process.

Adding to the entertainment was a circus workshop for children, and singing troupe Beyond The Barricade who strolled around the grounds serenading visitors with songs from the West End shows.

Hop Farm spokeswoman Hollie Eastwood said: "We were very busy on Saturday, when the weather was glorious. Sunday started off rather quiet while it remained overcast, but by the afternoon, the sun came out and so did the customers. Everyone seemed very happy with how things went."