TAVISTOCKs seventh annual food festival is to be held in the grounds of the Bedford Hotel over the weekend of Saturday and Sunday, September 11 and 12.

Visitors will be able to enjoy a Devon cream tea in the hotel, which was built on the site of the abbey where some believe the famous delicacy originates.

Staging the festival at the hotel brings the event virtually dead centre of the town and releases the main car park completely free for visitors.

The weekend will be particularly busy with the fifth stage of Tour of England cycling event taking place during the following week and the bi-weekly farmers market on Saturday.

The festival opens on both days at 10am and will be closing at 5pm on Saturday and 3pm on Sunday.

The organisers say they are delighted they have now filled all the available exhibitor stands with a wide cross-section of regional craft food and drink producers.

The festival will offer visitors an exciting range of products to add to their shopping bags such as fish, beef, cheese, beer, fruit, wine, pancakes, cider and, of course, clotted cream.

This year the organisers have decided to launch a fundraising project for Devon Air Ambulance and St Lukes Hospice. The aim is to create a collection of local recipes and then to create a recipe book to be put on sale later on in 2011. All proceeds will be shared between the two charities.

Speaking on behalf of Tavistock Food Festival, chairman Jeffrey Stackhouse said: We are inviting all local visitors, exhibitors and local residents to submit old and new favourite family recipes with some written explanation as to the recipes background and origins. Once printed and published we will be selling the book through local retail outlets.

Recipes can be handed in to the organisers during the food festival or alternatively, emailed or posted in. Full contact details are available on the festival website http://www.TavistockFoodFestival.co.uk">www.TavistockFoodFestival.co.uk