OVER 3,000 people flocked to Westbury’s Chilli Festival with Extra Cheese on Saturday, which marked the opening of the Westbury Festival.
The scorching event, run by Westbury Town Council, featured live music from Mariachi Way, Not Fragile, Jamma de Samba and Tequila Mockingbird, while spice lovers came from all over the county to sample the array of international food stalls, with the emphasis very much on chillies!
Carol Bianchi from Calne was crowned the Chilli Champion after beating off 10 other competitors to win the chilli eating competition.
The day marked the start of this year’s Westbury Festival which runs until 9th October, with over 40 events going on throughout the town.
“What a fantastic event!” said Ryan Child, events manager at Westbury Town Council. “We had 30 stalls of chilli traders from far and wide; there was live music plus entertainment for the kids, with everything culminating in the chilli eating competition which is kind of ridiculous – but everyone seems to enjoy it. We had people from as far away as Cornwall and Dorset coming to Westbury to compete. This is our second year and it’s starting to get a name for itself.
“Over 3,000 people attended which is tremendous and there was a really nice atmosphere.
“It’s a fantastic way to kick off the Westbury Festival. The festival is up and running now with loads of different events going on; it’s bringing something to Westbury that lots of towns don’t have and it’s great to see people support that. There are events going on in pretty much every venue in Westbury, which just shows what a great town this is.
“We’re absolutely delighted with the Chilli Fest; it was a massive team effort and it’s a credit to the council and the events group who organised it, all the staff and volunteers, all the stall holders and the entertainment and, of course, everyone who turned up. What a community effort, with everyone in the town working together!”
• Westbury Festival continues until 9th October, with a wide range of events for all tastes. Find out more at www.westburyfestival.org.uk phone 03336 664 466 or call into South West Hearing Care in the High Street or Westbury Museum in the library.
