Taste event co-organiser Carol Hughes said 228 people had registered for the outdoor dining experience, which showcased local food across five courses, washed down with Merilba Estate wines and New England Brewery beers.

Diners started with a savoury bon bon created by Phillippe Kanyaro from Le Pruneau.

This was followed by a chicken roulade with balsamic onions and avocado puree, whipped up by Rob Breese from Square Man Inn.

For the main course, Corey Walmsley from Corey’s Catering cooked up a braised big-end lamb shank, served with bacon and jack mash.

Dessert, care of Ben Davies from Quality Hotel Powerhouse, was lavender and local honey mousse, served with honey and almond praline and pear compote.

Diners could then nibble on a selection of cheeses from Hunter Belle Cheese, served with Bacco’s Bakery crackers.

Along with fellow organisers Michaela Stevens and Meredith Abrams, Mrs Hughes said planning for the event began in November last year and they were thrilled with this year’s edition.

Last year’s Long Lunch was moved to indoors to AELEC as rain dampened the traditional Taste finale.

While Mrs Hughes acknowledged that a lot of the region needed the rain, she was pleased there was no need for their wet weather contingency plan this year.

The Taste Tamworth Festival has continued to grow, with the pop-up warehouse bar “breaking all of the records” and new event Flavours on Fitzroy seeing vendors “inundated” with hordes of keen foodies.

“It’s such a celebration of the district’s produce,” Mrs Hughes said.

“Tamworth has so much to offer.”

Mrs Hughes said organisers were thrilled with the reception of the event and were pleased “to bring this standard of event to the Tamworth community”.