The Isle of Man Food and Drink Festival is an annual celebration of the amazing range of food and drink products available on our island. The full programme can be downloaded from www.iomfoodanddrink.com/festival.

The Isle of Man’s food sector is now worth £100 million to the economy and it continues to grow as the range of products being produced also grows. Many local producers have won awards, and multiple awards, at the UK Great Taste Awards and they all look forward to the chance to showcase their winning products at the festival.

This year will see the usual wide range of food and drink exhibitors; catering stalls offering hot and cold food; demonstrations in the Manx Cookery Theatre; live music, and family activities. Entry is free for children under 16 and adult tickets are just £5 per day or £8 for the weekend, while entry after 5pm on the Saturday night is free when the festival stays open until 9pm with street food, festival bar and Mae Challis headlining on the music stage.

Geoffrey Boot MHK, Minister for Environment, Food and Agriculture, said: ’The Isle of Man Food and Drink Festival is our flagship food and drink event and brings together producers to showcase their products to thousands of visitors.

’Findings estimate that the annual event is now worth £298,000 to the local economy. Its popularity reflects the growth in Isle of Man food and drink, being driven by my department’s Food Matters strategy, and the growing desire among people to support the innovation of local food and drink producers. As well as providing an enjoyable weekend for all the family, it aims to inspire visitors to reduce food miles, learn about provenance and boost the Manx economy.’

The festival is once again being sponsored by The Stars Groups and spokesman Jon Weedon said: ’We are delighted to support the island’s biggest and best celebration of local food and drink for a third year running.

’The festival brings together producers, retailers and consumers who share a passion for quality local produce. We are keen to support the economy as well as our communities and what better way to demonstrate this than through such a popular event, which attracts large crowds and boosts business.’

The festival is also supported by silver sponsors The Buchan School, Isle of Man Meats, Magnet Kitchens, Thai Thai Restaurant, Dave’s Delicious Dogs and is in association with Manx Radio.

This year’s special guest is Selasi Gbormittah

Selasi was the break-out star of the 2016 series of The Great British Bake Off, winning over fans with his smooth, laid-back attitude to baking and life in general.

After Bake Off Selasi opened a pop up bakery selling floral cupcakes. He also put on a fundraising dinner for the survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire, a tragedy which was close to his heart as a west Londoner.

There’s a great line up of demonstrations in the Manx Cookery Theatre

As well as Selasi, who will be offering us some delicious desserts, you can watch Cooking Manx Quinoa with Yohann Bonjus, chef at Government House, and Isle of Man Quinoa’s Chris Kneale.

When the Boat Doesn’t Sail puts the focus on foraging with chef Pippa Lovell from Versa.

Pippa said: ’This is about what you can find and start to incorporate into your day to day cooking and the importance of using local stuff.’

The Gourmet Donut Company will be holding their Donut Academy and Georgie Revill from The Cook Shack will be making her Signature Soda Bread.

Join in a beer tasting with Kaneen’s Brewery and pour the Fyn with Fynoderee Distillery.

On Saturday evening you can cheer on the contestants in the ever-popular Isle of Man Hot Dog Eating Competition sponsored by Dave’s Delicious Dogs.

Rounding off the evening, at 7pm, you can hear an inspiring talk by Selasi about his life story, entitled ’From Amateur to Professional Pastry Chef’. Tickets for this are free but limited and are available from the Villa Gaiety box office.

On Sunday you can start the day Foraging for Breakfast Cocktails with Foraging Vintners.

Sunday also brings the Isle of Man Chef of the Year finals sponsored by Robinson’s and Ready Steady Cook with Dot Tilbury and the Young Farmers Association.

New for this year is CompEAT for Charity with Davision’s Ice Cream which challenges contestants to see how much ice cream they can eat.

Ian Davison told us: ’This a timed event to see who can consume a large cone with one litre’s worth of ice cream on top in different flavours, vanilla and salted caramel to name two, along with eight mystery flavours.

’We are looking for ice cream addicts, who think they can cope with eating a one litre ice cream. A drink is available to defrost should you feel you are having a brain freezing moment!’

The competition is free to enter and open to anyone over the age of 18. A Davison’s T-shirt is provided to save any drips on your own clothes.The winner will receive a £100.00 cheque, paid to the charity of their choice and a second prize of £50 to the charity chosen by the runner up.

Ian said: ’We are looking for willing, enthusiastic people to enter: what have you got you to lose?’

Entry forms are available from DEFA food festival website or From www. info @davisons.co.im or our Facebook page.

We’ve had our spies out, getting a bit of a sneak preview of what some of the exhibitors will be bringing this year - chocolate quinoa cake anyone?

Yes, really - Isle of Man Quinoa will be in the Manx Produce Marquee and Chris Kneale told us they will be bringing nothing less than chocolate quinoa cake: ’for people to try as quinoa is not just for salads!’

Tiffany Kerruish, from Fynoderee Distillery, told us: ’We will be bringing our full range of award-winning Fynoderee seasonal gins and Manx Bumbee Vodka for people to taste and we’ll be selling bottles at a special "show price", including gift bag.

’Our Autumn Edition gin, which has been out of stock now for several months, will be re-launching at the show and we also hope to have our in-house forager, Kevin Quayle, with us weaving bumbee cages.

’And of course, "Fyn & Tonics" will be available to enjoy from the festival bar.’

BallaKarran Farm Shop sells their own, organically farmed, 100% pasture fed lamb, along with a wide range of other locally produced food products, online or from their van at locations around the island.

Will Qualtrough from Ballakarran said: ’This year, after three years in the making, we are excited to be offering our first pasture for life, organically farmed, 100% grain free, lifetime antibiotic free Ballakarran Aberdeen Angus beef.

’We will also have our Ballakarran lamb and Ballakarran Loughtan hogget, as well as the usual range of meats from Isle of Man Meats and Andreas meats; veg from our usual suppliers; Dairy Shed yogurt; honey; Ellerslie rapeseed oil; Leela’s Kitchen range; Staarvey preserves and sauces; Faraghers eggs; Paula’s Kitchen granolas; Morgan’s Pies, and Ross Bakery breads.

’My daughter, Isabel, will be taking orders for Christmas turkeys, and the Food Festival will also see the launch of our new online home delivery service which you can find at ballakarran.com.

’And of course there’ll be a warm welcome for all of our customers and a discount for anybody who brings their own containers for any purchases from us over the weekend.’

Kumar Menon, owner of Leela’s Kitchen will be bringing his full range of award-winning spices, imported from Kerala and ground and packed on the Isle of Man - once you’ve tried these you’ll never want to use any others. He also has a range of sauces and teas and he has collaborated with The Fynoderee Distillery to produce their popular Kerala Chai Gin, created specifically for pairing with Indian and Asian cuisine.

Ballakelly Farm, in Andreas, sells home-produced pork, lamb and beef joints and butchery products from their own farm shop. They are regular exhibitors at the major agricultural shows and the Food Festival, bringing a range of products including his own recipe sausages, usually on special offer.

Farmer Al Teare likes to keep his limited edition show sausage flavours a closely guarded secret until so you’ll have to visit their stand in the Manx Produce Marquee to find out what they are this time.

They are also bringing some very special 45-day dry aged beef steaks which have been selling fast at the farm shop.

Ballakelly have also teamed up with Dave Paramor from street food café, The Eatery, to offer hot food as part of the Festival’s eat-on-the-day catering offering.

The Fish Market has been celebrating the fact that a member of the team, Jordan Keig, was recently awarded the national title of Young Master Fishmonger of the Year at a ceremony in London.

Fish Market manager, Jay Gore, said: ’We are part of the National Federation of Fishmongers and we are pushing the development of our young fishmongers, helping them to develop their skills.

’Jordan and I will be on stage in the Manx Cookery Theatre cooking up some seafood delights and we will also have the Fish Market van outside offering delicious freshly cooked seafood treats including Manx mixed crab meat sub roll; Manx crab meat burger (Krabby Patty); queenies and pancetta; Manx kipper baps; Manx crab claws with dips, sweet chilli and garlic mayo, and Manx seafood chowder.’

Also offering hot food for festival goers is Cow & Pig Smokehouse. Owner Harry Davies told us: ’All the meat we use if Manx and we will have brisket and beef ribs, pork belly and pulled pork. We plan to have burnt ends on with our meaty pit beans and slaw, all packed into brioche rolls. I’m also busy perfecting a cheese dip which I hope to have just right in time for the festival.’