There will be plenty of food for thought at an exciting new festival to promote 2015 as the year of food and drink in Scotland.

The Largs Food Fest, which will be staged on the grass area of the prom on the Bank Holiday weekend of 23rd and 24th May, has generated interest from businesses from the town, and Ayrshire.

There will be over 40 exhibitors in a marquee nearly as long as a football pitch.

In fact, the interest from the food and drink industry has been so great that the marquee had to be extended in size to accommodate the participants. And some exhibitors are even bringing their own vehicles and display spaces along to the event.

There will be hourly cookery demonstrations, interactive seminars on food and drink, live entertainment and free children’s entertainment, which will also have a food related theme!

Largs businesses taking part in the festival will receive free exhibition space for the whole event, whilst those outside the town are paying for the privilege.

To ensure more businesses in the town can be linked to the event, an Explore Largs Shopping Trail has been devised to encourage footfall back into the town, with participants making an array of offers and discounts, some of which will be available all year.

There will be special packs for visitors, with leaflets, business promotions, newspaper competitions and publicity, which will not only attract visitors to the town but also drive them to other businesses within the town.

John Hamilton, Manager of Explore Largs, said: “The whole Explore Largs Team is working flat-out to ensure this inaugural event is a success for the town.

Even the new TV advert for Largs will promote the festival.” “Events like this are so important for all the businesses in Largs. We can’t rely on the weather alone to bring people to Largs - there are a huge number of attractions and events all over Scotland and the west coast that are competing for the same audience.” “As this is the year of Food and Drink in Scotland we are also working closely with Visit Scotland to focus on a different target audience for Largs so we can attract this new audience back to Largs time and time again.”