A packed weekend of events, activities and offers celebrating the Brecks is under way as part of the month-long EDP Bidwells Norfolk Food Festival.

The Brecks Food and Drink Festival was officially opened this morning (Friday) by Watton-based Masterchef finalist Tim Kinnaird and south west Norfolk MP Elizabeth Truss.

Plans for celebrations have been spearheaded by Vanessa Scott of Strattons Hotel in Swaffham. Following today's launch she said it looked like being a very successful weekend.

She said: 'You never know what it's going to be like when you plan these things but when people turn up on the day – and they certainly turned up in big numbers this morning – it's fantastic.

'What I think is really great is that so many people are involved in it. I'm hoping this is the big start of us being able to shout about food in this area.'

The celebrations continue tomorrow and Sunday as the community stages a massive celebration of the area's food, farming and countryside.

Events culminate Sunday with a producers' market full to the brim with delicious Norfolk food and drink and the popular cookery theatre featuring a selection of local chefs.

The market will run from 10am to 5pm with cookery demonstrations also beginning at 10am outside the Swaffham Assembly Rooms.

Throughout the weekend businesses and organisations in and around the town will host a wide range of activities and offers from special menus in the town's cafes and restaurants to the All Things Apple events in the Assembly Rooms tomorrow.

The Eco Tech Centre, on Turbine Way, continues its support of the festival with a full day of events tomorrow.

A children's apple pie masterclass, a garden and orchard day, a chance to find out more about organic gardening and a variety of children's garden trails and games are all free to enjoy.

The centre's packed programme also includes a chance to take a tour of the turbine and squeeze your own fruit juice.

Following the launch in Swaffham's market place, MP Ms Truss said the food and drink offering in that part of the county – as well as elsewhere in Norfolk – deserved to be celebrated.

She said: 'Food and farming is Britain's number one manufacturing industry and we should be more proud of it and encouraging more people to become part of the industry. I want Norfolk to be at the vanguard of changing attitudes towards food and farming.'

The MP went on to enjoy a lunch served at the Sacred Heart School in Swaffham as part of the pupils' Food Glorious Food festival events which also included a harvest festival at St Peter and St Paul Church.

For more information about this weekend's Brecks Food and Drink Festival, visit www.norfolkfoodfestival.co.uk.

victoria.leggett@archant.co.uk