Thanks to all of you who came along to support last year's Taste Sensation 08 event on Sunday, 21st September. We have had some wonderful feedback and the weather could not have been better!

Look who’s cooked: Back for seconds were: Dilli, Fat Loaf, Hanni’s, La Rioja, The Shaker Room and The Victoria. They were joined by new recruits Earle, M&M’s Caribbean Spice, Oca, The Pond Quay, Queenie Mumbles and Sokrates2, providing a mouthwatering worldwide array of flavours to choose from. There was a great cameradie amongst the chefs who all had a great time, meeting new people and enjoying the buzz and great atmosphere on the day.

Popular produce: Last year we teamed up with Cheshire Cat to bring you a wider range of specialist producers and retailers. Quality local produce available on the day included puddings, fresh pasta, sauces, tiramisu and traditional biscuits using locally sourced ingredients where possible, Greek olives, preserves, luscious cheeses, great local pies and pastries, pates, Jamaican bakery goods, traditional farmhouse beef and meat, a range of breads, juices and locally brewed beer.

Local flavours: Timperley Community Orchard stall proved popular with people bringing their own home grown apples for identification and Trafford Allotments pressed a formidable amount of apples, giving visitors the chance to taste apple juice seconds old and the opportunity to find out more about the joys of growing your own.

Taste Sensation also adopted Trafford Diabetes Centre as its charity for 2008 and their support and self help group was on hand with some useful information.

Entertainment: 40s style entertainment at the event tied in with Battle of Britain Sunday and got all ages joining in the jiving. There was also jazz band sounds around the town for the businesses’ Sunday shoppers, courtesy of The Stamford Quarter. The Imperial War Musuem gave visitors a taste of wartime Britain whilst The Victoria gastro pub’s spam fritters at 3pm went down surprisingly well!

Food Through the Ages: The Graftons Shopping Centre on George Street in Altrincham hosted a fascinating exhibition in the run up to and during the Taste Sensation 08 event. The exhibition gave some interesting insights into how people’s tastes and what they eat have altered over time to reflect key historic times, greater availability of ingredients, changing lifestyles and appreciation of different cuisines. There were also recipes for some of the most popular dishes of the different decades and a panel devoted to Wartime dining to fit in with the 40s theme. The exhibition was on loan from the People’s History Museum’s collection.

Just some of the comments from Taste Sensation ‘08:

• "a brilliant idea"
• "totally ace"
• "lots to see, eat and take part in"
• "better than the one at NEC Birmingham"

BACK FOR SECOND HELPINGS THIS YEAR ON SUNDAY, 20TH SEPTEMBER 2009!