A POPULAR festival is set to return "with a bang" after years of cancellations due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Vendors from all over Lancashire are expected to flog their wares on Clitheroe’s cobbled streets as the town’s food festival returns for the first time in three years.

A huge array of foods, from wild game and Biltong beef to cheese truckles, and curry kits, Thai pies and Bavarian pastries to artisan beers and vintage cordials will be on offer on the day.

A feast of fruit and vegetables packed with authentic flavours will also be found at the festival, which is considered one of the best in the UK.

Ricky Newmark, chair of Ribble Valley Borough Council’s community services committee, said: “The Clitheroe Food Festival is back with a bang and food enthusiasts across Lancashire are invited to save the date.

“Ribble Valley has created a strong narrative around food over the years and we are delighted the festival is to make a welcome return and provide vital support to food local businesses as we move into the post-pandemic period.

“Festival-goers can expect top-quality artisan produce, as well as cuisine from further afield, a feast of entertainment and most importantly a warm Ribble Valley welcome.”

The Clitheroe Food Festival will take place on Saturday, July 30.

There is still time to book a pitch for this year’s festival – with priority given to producers from the Ribble Valley and Lancashire.

The deadline for applications is Tuesday, May 31.