Gingerbread festival planned for Market Drayton

Market Drayton is planning to honour it’s gingerbread history with a brand new food festival this year.

‘Ginger and Spice’ aims to celebrate Market Drayton’s links to the product. Organisers hope it will be as popular as the town’s former damson fair which closed in 2015, but attracted visitor numbers of nearly 10,000.

Councillor Lee Ridgeway commented, ‘This will be a festival to celebrate the town’s links to gingerbread and spice. There is a lot of tradition in the town and there is a historic link with Market Drayton and spice. This event will aim to celebrate that.’

The gingerbread connection with the town dates back to 1793 when Roland Lateward, first baked gingerbread in the town from a bakery he built at the back of his cottage in Shropshire Street. Since then, the town has been known as the home of gingerbread bakers for more than 200 years.

Initial plans for the event include cookery demonstrations, baking and food stalls and a website with more details will be launched shortly.