A PIE festival “filled” Ramsbottom with joy, as thousands of pastry lovers got their hands on the town’s finest local delicacies.

The Ramsbottom pie festival, at St Paul’s Church in Bridge Street, featured various pie stalls, a pie eating competition, a best pie contest and a guess the weight of a pie quiz.

Such was the popularity of the festival that some pie sellers ran out of stock.

The event’s organisers did their best to “spice up” the event by advertising pies with a wide range of fillings, from Thai curry and jalapenos to good old fashioned meat and potato.

Gregg Fletcher, chair of Ramsbottom Business Group, was one of the event’s head organisers.

He said: “It’s great for the town of Ramsbottom to have events like this. There’s a real community feel to the festival because there’s something for everyone.

“I would say there’s been between two and three thousand people here today, which is very encouraging.”

Sara Wilkins, from Eclectic Kitchen & Deli in Bolton Street, organised the event with Mr Fletcher.

She said: “It’s lovely to see the local community come out and enjoy themselves. It’s especially nice when it doesn’t rain.

“The traders have been absolutely blown away. Some stalls have had to have more pies delivered because of the amount of orders they’ve had.”

Taking home the big prize on the day was 11-year-old Luke Worley, who was the ultimate pie bake winner for his apple and sultana puff pastry pie.

Luke, of Malborough Close, Ramsbottom, said: “I enjoy making pies and I like pork pies. I may have got a little of help from mum and dad with my pie.”