IT is a food fan's dream to have a whole host of top products all under one roof and jostling for their attention.

And that will be the case for visitors to the Essex Fine Food Show which will take place in Chelmsford next month.

Not only will they have more than 100 artisan producers appearing at the two day event - these will include an entire food hall dedicated to the treats served up by a host of food and drink producers from across the East of England.

The A Taste of Anglia Food Hall will feature a host of talented food producers from bakers and pie makers to a smokehouse.

Robert Gunn, of a taste of Anglia, says the organisation has gone through a number of changes in the past four years and runs as a membership organisation supporting and promoting the food and drink industry and the region.

"We work with start up businesses through to those ready to move into exports and we support food education across the region.

"In some cases I have had people come in with a bowl of food and ask me how they can turn it into a business and that is what is so good about what can be achieved.

"It is about getting it there and helping them develop what they already have.

"One of the things we have been doing is we have moved beyond just the six counties of East Anglia to places like Leicester as Anglia actually means England in Old English. We also have members from London and as far as Kent," he explains.

Their food hall at the Fine Food Show will have 28 food and drink producers including a number from Essex.

"The food shows are so important because it is a chance to show off what they have.

"The Fine Food Show is a consumer facing event," adds Robert.

Amongst the Essex contingent will be Sid Darsley whose business came out of attending a smoking course at the renowned Smokey Jo's in the Lake District.

It was the same course attended by the creators of Hanningfield Smokehouse, Colin and Katja, who turned their hobby into a burgeoning business.

Colin, who worked for a technology company for many years before deciding he needed a change, explains he was encouraged to contact the couple for tips while he was attempting to launch his own venture.

"Smokey Jo put us in touch and the day I contacted them was the day they had sadly decided to sell as Katja had suffered a major illness.

"They had spent three years building it up and won awards so it cannot have been an easy decision," he says.

Sid decided to take over and re-launched the company five months after it had closed.

Based in Stock, he is in the process of re-branding the business to the Old Barn Smokery, and has already expanded its produce.

"The previous owners focused on fish like trout and salmon but I really like smoking meat so I have added a lot of that, including fillet beef carpaccio, duck breast and also lamb and venison.

"We smoke flour from Marriages too, which people can then make pasta and bread from and it gives it a wonderful flavour.

"And I have a number of other products as well like olives and even dog treats like salmon skins, which are a bi-product but delicious for them as they are not smoked."

Also displaying on the day are pie and gourmet meal producers Fuud Ltd.

From their kitchens in Leigh-on-Sea, near Southend, Fuud's range of products are all handmade by chefs.

Richard James, owner of Fuud, explains they will be bringing their mobile street van with them, stocked with among other things steak and ale and chicken and chestnut pies "Those are our most popular I think and we also will be bringing the Greek olive oil we distribute as well.

"We try and get out to food festivals as much as we can and we also have an outside catering side of the business too which keeps up busy," he explains."

Fuud Ltd launched 12 years ago and has won a number of awards including in 2013 when the Chicken and Chestnut Pie scooped top prize at the British Pie Awards.

"We select our ingredients from local farms and suppliers, this helps us produce consistent quality.  Those with a sweet tooth are also well-served in the taste of Anglia food hall, not least with the likes of Basildon-based Wilma's Cupcakery.

Serving up bespoke cakes for wedding, birthdays and any occasion you can think of the bakery also prides itself in coming up with any flavour it is tasked with creating.

And its satisfied customers have even including celebrities.

Also heading to the event is Dips, which takes its name from the nickname given to founder Hershel Patel's mum, with its chilli pasted, lemon chutney and Barbecue sauce.

"Our brand was born out of our mum's excellent cooking.  "Her nickname is Dips by the way which is where the name comes from.  "After several years of taking her sauces, chutneys and dips to friend's houses as gifts and finding out that they were being hidden from guests so that they did not run out by the next visit, inspiration hit and Dips' was born," says Hershel.

Essex Fine Food Show is at Chelmsford City Racecourse from 10am to 5pm on Saturday May 13 and Sunday May 14.

Visit the show website for a full list of exhibitors and to buy your tickets in advance and save on the gate price. Tickets cost from £6.00 www.essexfinefoodshow.co.uk