A BAKING festival is to be brought to Ramsbottom for the first time by the same team who organise the town’s popular chocolate and pie festivals.

Ramsbottom Business Group is planning the event for Sunday, June 29, to tie in with the Winedering wine tasting on Friday, and a flower show on Saturday.

At the event in St Paul’s gardens, there will be a ‘man versus cake’ eating competition, a cake-baking competition, at least four stalls by expert bakers, giant board games, and a plethora of family activities.

Ramsbottom councillors are currently working with Bury Council’s legal department to attempt to get permission for festivals in the town to be able to have up to ten stalls.

The Bury Market Act, which came into law in the 1400s, limits the number of stalls at Ramsbottom events to four to protect Bury Market’s interests.

Greg Fletcher, chairman of Ramsbottom Business Group, said the team are hoping the baking festival will be even more successful that the other festivals organised by them in the past.

He said: “Park Farm, a really well known local farm who make fabulous cakes are just one of the groups holding a stall.”

Coun Ian Bevan said events like these are fast making Ramsbottom the foodie capital of the North West.