Melksham's sixth food festival has been a sweet success for organisers, with more than 3,000 visitors enjoying an array of tastes.

The two-day festival started with stalls and tasters on Saturday at the Littlebrook Centre, before a Sunday fair brought traders and cookery demonstrations into the grounds of Melksham House.

Pam Wiltshire, chairman of the organising committee, said: “We are really pleased with the family atmosphere and people seemed to stay for much of the day, to enjoy all the different stalls.

“We think we had about 3,000 people and we know there were people from Bristol, Devon and lots of the surrounding towns.

“It really does show the asset of the front of Melksham House, which, hopefully, will be used for community events once the new campus is done.

“All the volunteers who helped make it happen did such a good job. They did so much and they still managed to get everything cleared away by 5.30pm.”

Many of the traders from the town’s Tuesday market, which moved to the Market Place earlier this year, were there.

Fishmonger Neil Hall said: “It’s been very good; a really good atmosphere and a lively crowd.

“Because I do the Market Place market, there are lots of regulars who know me and have come along today as well.

“This is the first time I’ve been here, but I hope I’ll be back again next year.”

The Kennet and Avon Brewery is being built in Seend, and director Mark Ship was on hand to offer tasters of its ales.

He said: “It’s been lovely; a really friendly atmosphere.”

Chippenham’s Rosie Humphrey, of Rosie’s Relish and Pickle, said her picnic chutneys and fruit curds had sold well.

She added: “People are interested in buying things that haven’t travelled far and are homemade. And they like being reminded of things they ate when they were young.”