A popular food festival was attended by tens of thousands of ravenous foodies - breaking records for the event.

A whopping 28,000 people flocked to ‘The Big Eat’ last weekend to try some of Hampshire’s finest street food during the late May Bank Holiday weekend, all the while raising money for Hound Basics Food Bank.

The free-to-attend festival for charity saw thousands of foodie lovers swarm to Royal Victoria Country Park for the third annual street food festival which had more than 50 food and drink vendors from across Hampshire.

Visitors enjoyed a weekend of delicious food and drink, plus entertainment including live performances from musicians like Callum Lintott and Brit Pop Revolution.

Across the weekend, members of the public had the chance to vote for their favourite vendors - giving them a shot at winning a prestigious ‘Hampshire Street Food Award’. 

Winners for the award categories will be announced in the coming weeks across Hampshire Street Food’s social media accounts. Categories include ‘Best Pizza, ‘Best Vegan’ and ‘Fan Favourite’.

This year’s festival was sponsored by Snows Toyota, which has 11 motor dealerships across Hampshire, Dorset, West Sussex and Devon. Snows Toyota was on-site for the entire festival, offering activities for all ages, including a silent disco and a sushi making masterclass.

Jeremy Gaskin, Director of The Big Eat CIC, said he was blown away by the support that the community has shown by attending the festival.

“It’s been a whirlwind weekend and we couldn’t be happier. The fact that this was all to raise money for a local food bank is really the cherry on top.”

“We host The Big Eat to bring the community together and to shed a light on the delicious food that is right on our doorstep. We’re so thankful to all of the vendors who wow-ed the crowd and to the members of the public who came along.”

Planning is now in hand for a fourth iteration of the festival in 2025.