People have been flocking to Bath to taste some of the best local produce in the South West during a food festival this weekend.

Flavours of the West was held at the Milsom Place shopping centre and saw celebrity chefs demonstrating their skills alongside smaller food suppliers.

Visitors were treated to tasters of cheese, cider, cakes and chorizo and were given the chance to pick up tips for cooking at home.

One of the traders at the festival was Bath Ales and director Richard Dempster said the weekend had gone well.

He said: "I think festivals like these are popular because there is such a mixture of products and there is a lot of interest in local produce.

"I just think it highlights the amount of passion that is going into all these products and the quality that people can get from local providers."

Matt Hooper and Kate Seeley, both 27 and from the London Road area of Bath, had bought bread, chorizo, cupcakes and had gone to the festival particularly for the range of cheeses.

Mr Hooper said: "It shows you there is a lot more really good quality food out there and that you don't have to go to the supermarkets to get it.

"It is good to have something different and these people are so passionate about their produce."

The range of stalls at the festival included The Bath Pig Company, The Devon Cream Company and the Pyman Pates and the cooking demonstration platform in the Octagon included presentations by the head chefs such as the

Bath Priory Hotel's James Sheridan and Lucknam Park's Hywel Jones along with Martin Blunos and Richard Bertinet.

Director of the Somerset Cheese Company, based just south of Shepton Mallet, Anita Robinson said the festival had been a good opportunity to introduce people to their food.

She said: "We look at it as a PR exercise because it makes the local people more aware of our products and hopefully they will go to their local shops and buy our cheese.

"People kind of admire you for trying to do something like this and they are impressed so they want to support you, particularly in the current climate.

"But it is still important that you have quality products. People are not going to buy local if it is not good stuff."

There was a mixture of Bath-based visitors and those from further afield at the event, which was completely free.

Jo Waldhart lives in London but is originally from Australia and stumbled across the festival while taking some friends around the city.

The 30-year-old said: "We have been trying some really good cheeses, that has what has stood out for us.

"I think it is a great idea to show people what different things are on

offer."