One of Cornwall’s biggest celebrations of food and music takes place this weekend, with the return of Porthleven Food and Music Festival for its ninth year.

Events take place from Friday through to Sunday, with Saturday the biggest festival day.

The Chef’s Theatre is always one of the biggest draws, taking place on the Shipyard Stage, and this year’s line-up kicks off with what has become something of an annual tradition: festival patron Antony Worrall Thompson and Jude Kereama of Kota and Kota Kai battling it out in a ‘Ready Steady Cook Off.’

They will be followed every hour by a top chef from the area, finishing with Jack Stein and his head chef Simon Allot of Rick Stein’s Porthleven restaurant.

More than 150 exhibitors will line the port offering a large selection of street food and produce to take away, with the Fishermen’s Barbecue set up on Breageside and arts and crafts stalls the other side of the harbour.

In the Family Field at the Moors there will be circus skills and arts and crafts workshops between 19am and 5pm on the Saturday, with ‘dancing diggers’ performing between 1pm and 3pm.

Nearby will be the Literary and Acoustic Tent, where a celebration of stories, words and film will take place over two days. Highlights include an interview with ex Isles of Scilly policeman, writer and blogger Colin Taylor at 12.30pm, Cornish writer, poet and film-maker Jane Darke at 3pm, Shark Bay Films at 4.30pm and the Cadgwith Singers from 6pm on Saturday, with an open mic session between 11.30am and 3pm on Sunday.

The main meal of Saturday events is followed up by Sunday desserts – a day dedicated to baking and all things sweet.

The Great Porthleven Bake Off returns, with entries to arrive in the shipyard marquee from 10am on Sunday. Demonstrations kick off at 11am with Amelies, followed by a Squashbox Theatre performance for children at noon, a Mullion Cove Hotel demonstration at 1pm and Porthleven School’s signing choir at 2pm, with the judging of the Bake Off. Prizes will be presented at 2.30pm by Antony Worrall Thompson.

Immediately afterwards the WI Tea Party kicks off, with Cornish dancing at 3pm and the festival rounded off at 4pm with a charity auction followed by an evening of relaxed live music.

Alongside the food, music is the other major element of the festival, with performances taking place on all three days.

The Shipyard Stage will provide three evenings of ‘After Dark Parties’ from 7pm, kicking off with the Friday night opening party, followed by the Saturday night Under the Sea themed party and ending with blues, strings and jive on Sunday evening.

The Lime Kiln Stage, next to the harbour, is returning during daytime hours over the weekend, beginning at 10am on Saturday with Porthleven Town Band and also including Samba Celtica, The Oggymen, Even Nine, Cornish Roots Big Band, Falmouth Community Gospel Choir and others over the two days.

The whole event kicks off this Friday with the second Golden Oyster Food Awards celebrating the best cafes, restaurants, retailers and food producers in Cornwall. The ticket-only awards ceremony begins at 7pm, with live music from 8pm.

For the full programme of events visit porthlevenfoodfestival.com.