ONE of Winchester’s biggest festivals is set to draw in producers from far and wide with the Hampshire Farmers’ Market this weekend.

Alresford’s Watercress Festival is being held on Sunday (May 17) and will see around 50 suppliers from across the district gather together for what promises to be a day packed with locally-sourced produce.

The market’s business manager Alex Handford will be judging the many stalls alongside Jack Stein – head chef of the Rick Stein restaurant in Winchester High Street.

Mr Stein will be one of several chefs demonstrating at the fair, including Lainston House’s executive chef Andy Mackenzie.

Ms Handford said: “The Watercress Festival is always a popular event for our HFM Producers and the visitors to the event enjoy getting to meet the producers and sampling some of our local, in season, fully traceable food including lots of ‘to go’ food options as well - grazing from stall to stall while they soak up the atmosphere, live music and colour of the event.”

May promises to be a busy month for the market stall holders with so much produce now coming into season.

National Vegetarian Week and British Tomato Week are being celebrated from May 18-24, and May is also National Asparagus Month.

The National BBQ Week will be held from May 25-31 with English Wine Week celebrated at the same time.

“May always brings us an abundance of great produce and also lots of special food and drink weeks and months,” Ms Handford added.

“We have so much wonderful produce in our markets at this time of the year, great food for everyone with lots of choice for picnics, BBQs, vegetarian dishes and some of the very best English wine - all from Hampshire and the county borders.”