MORE than 100 producers and retailers will be pulled together in October for the first ever Exmoor Food Festival.

The celebration of the area's gourmet delights will also showcase foods which grow naturally in the wild, such as whortleberries and fungi.

The festival from Friday October 11 to Sunday October 20 has a packed programme co-ordinated by Porlock Visitor Centre manager Denise Sage, who won accolades for putting the spotlight on Exmoor during last year's foot and mouth crisis.

She said: "The aim is to show how much good quality food and drink is on offer and also to encourage people to buy local produce.

"The festival will promote awareness among businesses and it will show company bosses the benefits of purchasing locally, which in turn will also stimulate the area's economy."

Visitors will be able to start their day with an Exmoor Breakfast, and many hotels, restaurants and pubs will be offering special menus using local produce and following traditional recipes.

Porlock-based Exmoor Glass is making commemorative glasses for serving locally-produced wine, mugs hand painted by Exmoor potter Pauline Clements have been commissioned and Tesco has agreed to stock Exmoor produce at its Minehead store during the festival.

"There are all sorts of things planned all across the moor, from light walks or a cream tea on the steam railway to trout fishing and falconry.

"Many of the shops in Porlock are featuring special window displays throughout the festival and there is a recipe book available containing many submitted local traditional recipes," said Denise.

As well as a chance to join in the grape harvest and learn about the wine business at Dunkery Vineyard, visitors will be able to watch cider pressing Torre Cider Farm, at Washford, where different ciders can be sampled straight from the barrel.

Anglers will be able to try their luck at trout fishing in the well-stocked lakes at Exe Valley Fishery, Exebridge, and then sample their catch smoked on site by hand using traditional methods.

Nature lovers can join a two and a half-hour Exmoor Safari combined with either breakfast, lunch or tea of local produce, and more than 30 tea shops will be part of a cream tea trail.

Mushrooms and fungi will feature in a five-course meal accompanying a talk by national park head ranger Mike Leach, who will also take people on a three-hour woodland and moorland walk to look fungi.

A food fayre in Porlock Village Hall will feature a wide variety of local produce plus tasting opportunities while visitors to the Whortleberry Tearooms, Porlock, can choose from a number of recipes using this Exmoor speciality.

And Exmoor's butchers will be battling it out to win the accolade of champion sausage maker.

These and other food festival events are detailed in a leaflet available from Porlock Visitor Centre on 01643 863150.

The food festival is supported by a partnership comprising West Somerset District Council, Somerset County Council, Exmoor National Park Authority, South West Regional Development Agency and Somerset Food Links.