BRIDPORT'S hugely successful food festival has lost its head now that Amanda Streatfeild has stepped down as chairman.

Mrs Streatfeild has been involved in the Bridport Food Festival since it first started in Bucky Doo Square in 2004. She set up and became chairman of the Bridport Local Food Group in 2005, established primarily to support and promote the local food and drink industry and run the annual food festival.

With her at the helm the festival has gone from strength to strength and has become a much anticipated date in the Bridport calendar for both locals and tourists.

Stepping down at the agm last week she paid tribute to those who set the whole event up in 2004, particularly the Food and Land Trust under the leadership of Frances Pearsall, and the Taste of the West who were instrumental in helping set it up.

She also thanked the volunteers on the steering committee for their support, the Round Table, the many suppliers and the sponsors.

The new chairman is Jay Anderson. Jay joined the Bridport Local Food Group committee three years ago and has been vice chairman for the last year. Before retiring and moving to Bridport his career was in the world of hospitality and catering.

He said: “The food festival is the perfect way to celebrate our fantastic local food and drink industry. Every year it is getting bigger and better, and I would like to see even more businesses getting involved and more events added to the food festival week. The links with local schools is working well and I look forward to this being further developed in the future.”