A RECORD crowd of more than 30,000 people packed into Malton for the town’s 10th annual Food Lovers Festival over the weekend.

Four Yorkshire-born Michelin starred chefs demonstrated their culinary credentials and gave visitors an insight into their kitchens.

And with 140 stalls and 30 street food vendors, there was a "vast variety of delectable dishes and products available for all to try," said festival director Tom Naylor-Leyland.

He said the number of visitors last year was estimated at 30,000 and it seemed even higher in this year’s sunshine.

“We have been very lucky,” he said. “The weather has been amazing and the atmosphere is so friendly.”

The Main Stage was laid out this year like a TV set such as Saturday Kitchen and Sunday Brunch, with sofas for relaxed informal interviews and a brand new demo kitchen, featured cooking demonstrations, talks and interviews.

Top names included Andrew Pern, owner and chef at The Star Inn at Harome, James Mackenzie from The Pipe and Glass Inn at South Dalton and Tommy Banks from the Black Swan at Oldstead.

TV chefs demonstrating their dishes included The three Pigott Brothers from BBC2’s ‘The Big Family Cooking Showdown,’ Jess Gardham from BBC1’s ‘Masterchef', Cyrus Kay of Mary Berry’s new BBC1 show ‘Britain’s Best Home Cook’ and The Robshaws and Debbie Raw from BBC2’s ‘Further Back in Time For Dinner'.

There was entertainment for all ages, ranging from a steam-powered Victorian carousel in the Vintage Funfair in the Shambles car park to buskers lining the streets.

Children could take part in the Little Cooks cookie decorating workshop in Talbot Yard and get their face painted at the Festival Bar, the Salvation Army had a pop-up activity tent and children’s theatre company Magical Quests gave free theatre workshops for under eights in the Milton Rooms. Fringe events included free demos in the Malton Cookery School.

A galvanised steel sculpture of Craven Heifer, weighing more than half a tonne and 6ft tall, created for the Great Yorkshire Show, was also on display.