A FOOD festival that attracted more than 20,000 people in 2017 is returning to Newport city centre for its eighth year.

Newport Food Festival 2018, hosted by Newport City Council and sponsored by Tiny Rebel Brewery, will be on Saturday, October 6, with a huge selection of scrumptiousness on offer throughout the city centre, and a line-up of chef demos taking place.

With 13 stalls offering baked goods, 13 serving hot food and drinks, 10 selling preserves and spices, nine for meat-lovers, eight for the sweet tooth, and five for dairy lovers, there is something for everyone.

Plus, there will be seven beer and cider stalls, seven offering wine and spirits, and four with a selection of non-alcoholic drinks.

There will even be four non-food stalls: Grandma Bees Natural Skincare, RSPB, Rhiannon Art Ltd, and Velindre NHS Trust with their Velindre Cookbook, which contains 40 recipes from patients and their families.

The rich programme of chef demos will take part in three locations throughout.

In Newport Market they will kick off from 11am, with Maindee Youth Club and St Julian’s Youth Club battling it out in the Teenchef Final, which is sponsored by Celtic Manor. The market will then host demos, sponsored by Newport Now, each hour.

These are: Hywel Jones from Lucknam Park Hotel & Spa, Steve White from The Red Lion in Caerleon, Ben Periam from the Pod in Newport, Gareth Pembridge from Steak on Six in The Celtic Manor, and a competition at 4pm.

Pobl Group have also agreed to hourly demos being hosted from their offices, at the top of High Street, starting with Dickie Flinn from Anderson’s at the Waterloo, at 11.30am.

Then, from 12.30pm, the venue will host: Ben Periam from The Pod, Anil Karhadkar from Curry on the Curve, Dion Tidmarsh from The Stuffed Doormouse, and Chris Williams from wagamama.

This year will also feature hourly chef demos at Usk Plaza, in Friars Walk, with wagama at 11am, followed by: Bistro Pierre, Las Iguanas, 2pm to be confirmed, Chiquito, Zizzi, and TGI Fridays at 5pm.

For those using public transport, Newport Food Festival is just a short walk from Newport bus station and Newport train station.

Facebook: @newportfoodfestival