THOUSANDS of people descended on Colchester’s Castle Park for the 12th annual Food and Drink Festival.

This year’s event was bigger than ever with 150 stalls boosting everything from Spanish and Mexican cuisine, to seafood and cocktails.

There were also creative cocktail making classes, a celebrity chef kitchen, and live music.

The Colchester Rose Show, which offered craft and culinary classes, was also featured in the festival.

Festival goers also got the chance to win one of 50 handmade shopping bags.

Organiser Don Quinn said he was expecting the weekend attendance figures, which are still being counted, to show it had been a record-breaking event.

He added: “It has been huge.

“I would say without question since the park was built, it has never seen quite so many people.

“It has been lovely and very peaceful.

“The weather was great and it very often is quite good for us.

“It has been brilliant – we have got more stalls here this year and we have now got the bowling green.

“The food and drink festival is one of the cornerstones of Colchester events.”