TWO days of food and drink fun will come to Keswick this weekend at the town’s first Taste Cumbria festival.

The event, on Sunday and Monday, will run from 10am to 5pm each day.

It will feature a giant market with 70 traders selling food, drink and kitchenware on Market Square, with chefs’ demos in a marquee outside Moot Hall.

There will be family fun in Packhorse Court from Bread and Butter Street Theatre, Alice in Wonderland, the Easter Bunny and Professor Pumpernickel’s science shows, along with Easter biscuit decorating and children’s arts and crafts workshops.

Chefs lined up to provide demonstrations include West Cumbrian TV chef Peter Sidwell, Brandon Shepherd, head chef at Rothay Manor in Ambleside, Chris Archer, of Cottage in the Wood at Whinlatter, Ryan Blackburn, of The Old Stamp House in Ambleside and David Jackson, of Hazelbank Country House in Borrowdale.

Taste Cumbria runs in Cockermouth each September and has been taken to Keswick to boost businesses following December’s floods.

The event is sponsored by Lake District Hotels, with support from Cumbria LEP, Allerdale council, CN Events and Cumbria Life.

Marie Whitehead, director of CN Events, said: “It is fantastic that so many people want to get involved in our first Taste Cumbria festival in Keswick. We’re looking forward to a fabulous two-day festival.”