ENTRIES are now open to trade at a series of award-winning food festivals across the county.

Duo Bev and Sarah Milner-Simonds have been hosting festivals throughout Somerset for a number of years while expanding on locations and themes.

Eat:Festivals have secured the pair a host of awards including from the National Outdoor Events Association and the Bristol, Bath and Somerset Tourism Awards.

The team has four events planned for Weston Super Mare, a trio in Burnham-on-Sea, one in Nailsea, Castle Cary, Minehead, Wellington and Crewkerne, plus a return to Portishead and Taunton for another food and drink festivals as well as a new festive festival in both towns.

First up is eat:Vegan on Saturday, January 26, in the Winter Gardens, Weston Super Mare.

Organiser Bev Milner Simonds said: "eat:Vegan is the first 100 per cent vegan and indoor event we have created and we are approaching this as an awesome food and drink festival, that happens to be vegan.

"We are using the magnificent seaside retro splendour of the Winter Gardens Pavilion to host our gastronomic adventure in all things plant based.

"Visitors should expect more than 60 local and regional food and drink producers along a host of other free activities."

Information about trading at the events can be found at eatfestivals.org/apply.

The website states priority is given to businesses from within 25 miles of the host town - as well as having a 'high sustainability criteria'.

This year's events will take place on the following dates:

  • eat:Vegan January 26
  • eat:Weston April 13 and September 28
  • eat:Castle Cary May 4
  • eat:Taunton May 11
  • eat:Burnham-on-Sea May 25 and October 26
  • eat:Crewkerne July 20
  • eat:Portishead August 10
  • eat:Wellington September 7
  • eat:Nailsea October 5
  • eat:Minehead October 12