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Launch of Taste Lancashire 08

Preview of launch of Taste Lancashire 08 - Lancashire's food and drink year.

Taste Lancashire 08, Lancashire's food and drink year for 2008 in partnership with Liverpool's European Capital of Culture celebrations, will be launched on
Wednesday October 10 in Garstang's High Street Car Park.

The year will be launched by Loyd Grossman as Patron of Taste Lancashire 08 and Councillor Lady Dulcie Atkins, chair of the Garstang & District Partnership. Garstang's Town Crier will oversee announcements for the launch.

The launch will centre around the creation of the world's biggest Lancashire hotpot from a marquee on the car park. This will be submitted to the Guinness World Records. The Garstang area has a number of high quality local food producers and retailers and was the world's first Fairtrade town. The launch will also highlight the town's first ever Garstang and Bowland Banquet, a food and drink event taking place from October 19 to 26.

Loyd is the chair of Culture North West and chair of the National Museums Liverpool. He has been working closely with the Liverpool Culture Company on 2008.

The hotpot will be prepared and cooked from 7am that morning by army catering staff from Weeton Barracks near Kirkham and chefs training at Lancaster and Morecambe College. All ingredients will be from the local area with many donated.

The launch will have a strong community focus and is open to the public. There will be stalls from a number of partners including the Fairtrade Movement, Lancashire Tea, Robinson's mammoth onions, North West Fine Food, Lancashire and Blackpool Tourist Board, Lancashire County Council, Growing with Nature and Dew-Lay Cheesemakers. The Wyre Countryside Ranger Service will be leading a cheese trail to Dew-Lay and there will be a guided walk of the town. Even the 12 foot by 7 foot hotpot tin being used for the record attempt has been created locally, by blacksmith Austin Warmsley.

Entertainment will include music and street performers.

The year-long celebration is being co-ordinated by Lancashire and Blackpool Tourist Board.