EUROPE’S biggest celebration of strawberries is set to return to north Wiltshire next month at the Crudwell Strawberry Fayre.

The organisers are promising an event bigger and better than ever before to include the traditional strawberry foods, teddy bear parachuting and a huge display of work from the North Wiltshire Flower Club.

The fayre, now in its 28th year, celebrates everything about strawberries and was inspired by a similar celebration in the US started by the British wife on an American GI.

The woman’s sister, living in Crudwell, was told about the festival at Christ Church Cathedral in Indianapolis and decided that her village could benefit from a similar celebration.

In 1987, the project in Crudwell was given a grant from the international outreach programme at the American catherderal and the Fayre has helped to maintain and improve the church and the community ever since.

A special booklet containing more about the history of the event and the story of the strawberry throughout the ages has been printed by David Butcher, who runs Abbey Printing in Malmesbury.

Proceeds from sale of the 52 page booklet, priced at £3.50 will go towards All Saints Church in Crudwell and David is hoping to raise around £2,000 from the books.

As well as interesting information the book also contains several strawberry recipes from French professional chef Pierre Koffmann who mentored Gordon Ramsay, Marco Pierre White, Marcus Wareing and Tom Kitchin among others.

The recipes inside include sumptuously squishy panacotta and mouth wateringly moist strawberry avocado salsa among others.

As well as picking up one of the booklet visitors should look out for barbecue and big band on July 11 and teddy bears parachuting from the church tower on July 12.

To top it all off the church will be filled with more than 30 floral displays from the North Wiltshire Flower Club over the weekend as part of their flower festival.

Tickets are available from Crudwell Post Office or by emailing sales@crudwellstrawberryfayre.co.uk with the number of tickets required and contact details.

For more information visit crudwellstrawberryfayre.co.uk/