MORE than 11,000 people revelled in the heat as the two-day Great Dorset Chilli Festival returned for its fifth year.

The heat was on and competition in the chilli sauce, chilli plant and infamous chilli eating competitions was fierce in St Giles Park, Wimborne St Giles. Local Dorset traders and some from as far afield as The Netherlands and the Rhone Valley offered a huge variety of chilli plants, peppers, sauces, and seeds.

There event included cooking demonstrations by local chefs such as Yayu Slocock of the Wimborne-based The Taste of Rasa Sayang cookery school, Luke Stuart of the White Pepper Chef Academy, and Masterchef 2009 winner Mat Follas of The Casterbridge in Dorchester. Festival director Miles Halton said: “We were so lucky with the weather and the sunshine brought good crowds and high spirits.

“It is difficult to sum up the magic of this event in a few words, but it is actually quite moving to be able to bring together thousands of people into one corner of Dorset and to see them all smiling and having fun.”

Dates for 2016 will shortly be announced. Follow the Great Dorset Chilli Festival on Facebook for upcoming announcements and information.