Pictured above: Marketing Birmingham directors - Tim Manson, Ian Taylor, Dave Hodgson

Record number attended this year's Taste of Birmingham festival, with around 14,000 people flocking to the four day event at Cannon Hill Park- 16 per cent more than last year. The festival saw a fantastic turnout throughout Thursday to Sunday 9-12 July, with attendance often nearing capacity.

Visitors enjoyed food from 17 restaurants such as Edmunds, Lasan and Fusion brasserie and from over 50 exhibitors. There was also entertainment and live music on the BRMB stage from the Jam House, Britain's Got Talent football freestyler Jeremy Lynch and bands including classical pop quartet Escala and rock band Ben's Brother.

Ian Taylor, commercial director at Marketing Birmingham, said: "We're delighted that so many people visited Taste of Birmingham this year. It's the first time that Marketing Birmingham has managed the festival and the team has worked hard with our partners to create an event that people will enjoy.

Pictured above: Guests enjoy a glass of bubbly at Taste of Birmingham

"The success of Taste of Birmingham highlights what the city does best - holding great events. It is testament to the team approach of everyone involved - from the chefs, the exhibitors, to the staff behind the scenes."

Roger Allonby, head of tourism and culture at Advantage West Midlands, one of the sponsors of the event, added: "Taste of Birmingham this year was a real reflection of the quality of the Heart of England region - the best of the West Midlands' offering was packed into four days, from restaurants, local producers, even the music. This showed visitors the breadth of activities they can enjoy in the region."

As well as browsing restaurants and stalls, visitors were encouraged to get "hands on" in a series of interactive cookery demonstrations. The demonstrations in the Heart of England Fine Foods cookery theatre and Peugeot French Flair kitchen allowed visitors to see behind the scenes in the kitchen as well as the opportunity to meet the professionals - not just chefs but footballers from the region's clubs, both past and present, DJs and up and coming talent from University College Birmingham.  

Louise Pickford, Heart of England Fine Foods Business Development Manager, said: "Taste of Birmingham was an excellent insight into the Midlands' talent for producing top quality food and a world class dining experience. The Heart of England Fine Foods cookery theatre in association with Aga was popular and showed visitors the huge range of food and drink available from the region."

Andy Waters, chef from Edmunds restaurant, added: "Being at Taste of Birmingham this year was important as it allowed us to showcase our restaurant to a wider audience. The festival was a great opportunity to meet our customers face to face and get their feedback, as well as catch up with the competition."