SAINT Mary’s, the beautiful and very ancient church that stands on Witney’s Church Green, near the town centre, is also a home for local community groups and is now being used regularly to stage concerts, festivals and other events.

On Saturday, May 4, Witney’s second beer festival will be held at St Mary’s.

Two weeks later, thanks to the hard work of a team of food enthusiasts, the church will provide the backdrop for Witney’s first food festival on May 18. The group’s events coordinator Elpie Lewis, from Hailey, is thrilled that every stall has already been booked.

In fact, the support and enthusiasm they have received from local producers and businesses has already exceeded their expectations. The event will be opened by TV presenter and comedian Alexander Armstrong. Rod Walker, the Deputy Lieutenant of Oxfordshire, will also be in attendance.

The festival will feature locally produced and artisan produce which, thanks to Witney’s Wychwood Brewery, will include some jolly fine ales. There will be tastings of local cheeses, breads, chocolate, pickles and mustards and other delicious goods too.

Due to the recent horsemeat scare, the organisers, who have been drawn together by the diverse skills they can offer, are convinced that this is the perfect time to showcase the many local products that Oxfordshire produces.

Cooking displays will take place during the day, but Elpie says they will not be in a show kitchen – she says it will be table-top fare, with camp fires and that sort of thing.

However, Elpie was quick to add this will not deflect from the quality of the displays as there is a small team of first-class Oxfordshire chefs lined up to show what they can do with seasonal, local produce.

The Rev Toby Wright, the rector of St Mary’s, known to his parishioners as the Ravenous Rector, is included in their number, for although he is not a chef, he does know his onions. Apparently he has promised to cook his Rapturous Lamb, followed by a ravishing dessert.

A chef from The Fleece will conjure up a Fabulous Festival Feast, and Jane Drew from Ladies in Pigs will create a fruity pork curry and a spicy dessert. Martin Levy, from the gourmet arm of Fresh Direct, will cook a duck dish which will highlight the menu being served at the Muddy Duck, Hethe. Seats for these demonstrations are limited, so advance booking at £2 a ticket is advised.

A series of free talks linked to food have been arranged too. Speakers will include Jonathan Luker on Becoming a Fizzasist in Your Own Kitchen, examining how fizzy drinks can be prepared using wild berries from the hedgerow. A hog roast will take place on Church Green, and teas will be served throughout the day.

Children will all be given a log book to fill in as they visit the stalls and will get a chance to have their faces painted as vegetables and farm animals. Obviously the local Morris men will be getting in on the act too.

Although the festival officially opens at 9.30am on May 18, it will actually get under way at local pubs the night before. The Blue Boar, The Fleece, Three Horseshoes and the Hollybush will all be serving a special festival menu that evening.

Chris Keating, manager of the Wychwood Brewery, said: “It’s the type of event that Witney should have staged years ago.”

Tickets are £1 each and children go free. All money raised during the day will go towards restoring the church.

For further information, see witneyfoodfestival.co.uk