The team behind the award-winning eat:Festivals has curated a wide range of food experiences, tours and pop-ups across the West Country.

Weston Mercury: Organisers Sarah and Beverley Milner Simonds.Organisers Sarah and Beverley Milner Simonds. (Image: MarkWoolacott)

West Country Food Adventures builds on the Mendip-focused Taste The Landscape Trail of last year and aims to encourage people to meet the makers at their premises.

The two-week-long food festival will encourage people to try something new and explore the countryside.

There are dozens of events happening around the region, and in the Mercury patch there are:

- Open days at the Barley Wood Cider Barn in Wrington

Weston Mercury: Organisers of eat:Festivals Bev and Sarah Milner-Simmons.Organisers of eat:Festivals Bev and Sarah Milner-Simmons. (Image: Orbit Photography)

- Make your own scotch eggs at Nutts Scotch Eggs in Bleadon

- Saturday wine tasting bench at the Wine Shop in Winscombe

- Brews, Blues and Barbecues at Pitchfork Brewery in Hewish as well as a brewery tour and tasting

- Taster session at Simply Green Zero Waste in Nailsea

Co-organiser Sarah Milner Simonds told the Mercury: "When we chose to live in Somerset, we got to know our new home by eating and drinking our way around the county.

"A basket of apples or little shed of eggs by a cottage garden would have us screech to a halt for the freshest produce.

"This was real farming, with little input other than sun, soil, rain and deep understanding.

"We discovered cidermakers who would tell us the names of every tree, and bakers from dynasties of village fête winners.

"Little by little we understood how remarkable and precious were the smokers, the shrimp-catchers, the charcuterers and the wine-makers, who use this unique landscape to develop our heritage of food and drink."

Co-organiser Bev Milner Simonds said: "Happily, so many of these producers have now thrown open their doors to us all, to come and discover how their awesome flavours are made.

"West Country Food Adventures are an invitation to get to the root of what the land is for.

"You can ask questions, taste test, have a go or just have a picnic and go and explore a farm.

"We have tried to make it easy to get to by bus, bike, horse or on foot. Most of the events are free and many can be self-led."

The event will run from Saturday until July 28.

To find out more, visit www.westcountryfoodadventures.org to download a brochure and view the interactive map.