The Highcliffe Food and Arts Festival made a welcome return over the weekend, having been cancelled for the previous two years due to the pandemic.

The sun shone, there was plenty of delicious food to sample and artworks to buy, as well as food demonstrations, live music and workshops to entertain festival goers.

Highlights from the weekend included demonstrations from renowned TV chefs Jean-Christophe Novelli and Lesley Waters, as well as leading chefs from local restaurants and hotels, including Luke Matthews from Chewton Glen and James Golding from the Pig Hotels.

There was plenty to keep visitors entertained at the two live entertainment stages at opposite ends of the village, featuring music, dance and children’s entertainers. Arts activities included pottery, Fimo workshops, art activities and an exhibition by local school children. For a quiet few moments, there was storytelling.

While food producers demonstrated and sold their wares in the High Street, The Little Craft Shack curated a stunning array of arts and crafts on the Green, with stalls by local creatives and makers.

The organisers said: “The organising team is made up of unpaid local residents who want to offer something special for our village. After two years of cancellations, we were delighted to be back.

“We loved seeing so many people enjoying the festival and would like to say a massive thank you to those people who helped over the weekend as stewards and ambassadors, picking up rubbish and generally helping us out.”

More photos have been posted on our Facebook page at dorsetview.news, and will be in the July issue of Dorset View.