THE organisers of Tavistock Food Festival are inviting all residents and festival visitors to bring traditional family recipes to the festival in September, to be put into a local recipe book.

Organisers believe everyone has a favourite recipe which may have been handed down from mothers or grandmothers, and will reflect local food ingredients.

It is hoped the recipe book will be edited by a local celebrity chef and put on sale on the internet and through local retailers. All profits are to be shared between St Luke's Hospice and Devon Air Ambulance.

Jeffrey Stackhouse, chairman of the festival, being held at the Bedford Hotel, said : 'We are very excited about the idea of collating lots of old family recipes and hopefully producing something unique to Tavistock.

'We are absolutely delighted to be able to hold our festival this year in the very heart of Tavistock which is our spiritual home.

'We have had a fantastic response from exhibitors who have already filled over half of the stands available.

'The car park will be the principal exhibition area and the garden will become a rest and refreshment area. The venue is superb and avoids the loss of the main Bedford car park over the weekend.'

The Bedford Hotel is to host the Food Festival on Saturday and Sunday September 11 and 12 in its own car park and garden.