THE eighth annual Mortimer Country Food Fair will take place on Saturday from 10am - 5pm at Aardvark Books in the village of Brampton Bryan, and will invite visitors to enjoy Slow Living in the Marches for a day in the countryside.

To illustrate this year's Slow Living theme, are the food fair's demonstrations - including chef Andrew Link of The Riverside Inn, Aymestrey, the Temeside Smokery, - artisan producers of smoked fish and meat and Dawn Howe of the Chic Brocante.

The cookery demonstrations will feature dishes which are not instant or ready in 15 minutes. Sometimes you just need to take some time, and the Marches are the perfect place to appreciate the benefits of taking life at a more leisurely pace.

Amongst those exhibitors returning to the fair are the award-winning Cottage Herbery, whose co-owner Kim Hurst is now an RHS judge at the Chelsea Garden Show; Swifts Bakery, Cothi Valley Cheese, Pear of Peas Vintage Teas, and Little Cefn smokehouse who will be highlighting some new products specially prepared for the food fair. Once again there will be free children's cookery lessons courtesy of the Easy Peasy Cooking Bus, who over the last two years have visited local schools as part of the food fair's lottery-funded outreach programme.

For those wishing to sample the best of local beverages Pip's Ciders are returning, together with newcomers Wood Brewery, who have been brewing up in the nearby village of Wistanstow for 35 years, and this year have a special Magna Carta ale. There will also be a Pimm's and champagne bar, for those who are finding taking things easy to be thirsty work.

Live music is provided by veteran swing guitar player Trevor Davies who makes his first appearance at the fair with his Allstars quartet. They will be playing until 3pm, when the baton will be handed to Norrie Davies who will be playing her original 1930s French musette accordion until the fair closes.

An exotic element is lent by this year's food fair art exhibition, Iceland: Seen and Unseen which includes paintings and sculptures by Diana Nuttall, Shannon Donovan, and Andrew Eastwood that explore that country's unique landscape and culture.

Adult entry £4, under 16s and parking are free. For more mortimercountry.co.uk/ or contact Carolyn Chesshire, fair director, at Lower Buckton Country House on 01547 540532.