FORMER Great British Bake Off contestant and Dorset’s very own star baker Maggie Richardson will appear at Wimborne Food Festival this weekend. 

The free-to-attend festival will showcase the town’s best offerings of food and drink eateries, retailers and give away fascinating insights. 

Held between 11am and 4pm on Saturday, September 14, the main site is at Willow Walk near Waitrose where a host of food aficionados will be hosting free talks. 

As well as Maggie, visitors can discover the secrets of Indonesian cooking with author and chef Yayu Slocock and hear from Kingston Lacy head gardener Andrew Hunt and café manager Phil Anderson. 

Meanwhile, Michael Russell, head pastry chef of Le Petit Prince Patisserie will be on hand to give his tips and Laura Green, the co-owner of independent craft beer bar The Butcher’s Dog, will give a guided beer tasting session. 

In East Street, independent butcher Paul Keating will serve up the finest Dorset-reared meats – meaning the road will be closed to traffic all day. 

And in Church Street and Wimborne Square there will be alfresco food and drink with lunchtime offers from Ten Bottles Tapas and Wine Bar and Piazzo Lounge.  

Bakers are being urged to join in with the Dorset apple cake competition at the Marquee on Willow Walk at 2.30pm where BBC Repair Shop star Sonnaz Nooranvary will be the celebrity judge. 

Sponsor Dacombes of Wimborne managing director Matt Renaut said: “Wimborne has so much to offer when it comes to food and drink and this new festival is a wonderful way of showcasing that on one special day.  

“Local businesses along with the support of Wimborne BID have worked really hard to make this happen and we hope it will become an annual event.”