Chester Cheese Rolling Competition Kicks Off Annual Food Festival

This year's Chester Cheese Rolling Competition has taken place in the city centre, with hundreds turning up to watch the event.

Eight teams took part in the competition, which heralds the start of the 2013 Chester Food, Drink and Lifestyle Festival.

It takes place on Shrove Tuesday every year and is followed by a pancake race.

This year's teams included The Cheshire Cheese Company, Allington Hughes Solicitors, NFU Mutual, radio station Dee 106.3, Taste Cheshire and last year's winners Chorlton Cheese.

The teams of four were required to push cheese wheels around an obstacle course, which included hay bales and scarecrows.

The course ran up and down Bridge Street and participants were required to stay within the course barriers.

After the initial race, the teams were whittled down to two. They then took place in a final battle to the finishing line.

Dee 106.3 was knocked out by the Cheshire Cheese Company in the fourth heat.

The Cheshire Cheese Company then went on to win the whole competition and took home the champion trophy.

Stephen Wundke, festival organiser and CEO of Taste Cheshire, said: "The annual Cheese Rolling Competition is a much loved event that has made its way to be among the most popular events in the city.

"We are hugely proud of this competition and couldn't think of a better way to launch Chester Food, Drink and Lifestyle Festival.

"The competition unites the people of the city and shows to visitors that we are a city and county that is hugely proud of our food and producers, providing favourite foods for people throughout the world tp enjoy and love."

The food festival will take place between 30 March and 1 April and will welcome hundreds of food and drink stalls.