The Suffolk Show is a beacon of all that is great about Suffolk, and this year’s biggest day out in the county promises even more than ever for all the family to enjoy.

There is even a Royal visitor - HRH the Duke of Kent - arriving on the second day.

That was the word from executive director Christopher Bushby who today previewed a packed programme for this year’s show. He stressed the importance of the show as a beacon for bringing together the many social and economic communities throughout the county. Several of them were represented at the press conference at Trinity Park where the 178th show is held on May 27 and 28.

He emphasized that against an increasingly tough economic climate there were at least 100 new exhibitors and sponsors and highlighted how the results of research conducted during and following last year’s show had shaped the themes of this year’s event.

He revealed that nearly 75 per cent of people who attended came for the entertainment, a third to shop and another third to enjoy a family outing. And enjoy they did, as the average spend on food and drink per head was £40, the average on non food items £51 and the total spent at the show £7.5m.

“It’s the county’s biggest day out, a fun day of entertainment for all the family with seven rings with packed schedules all day long,” he said.

The main attraction in the Grand Ring, sponsored by the Colchester Institute, will be the daring Bolddog Lings motor-cross display, as well as the Osborne Refrigerators Double Harness Scurry and Heavy Horse Turnouts and the Grand Parade. The President’s Ring welcomes back the acrobatic and captivating Jive Pony, the heavy horse obstacle driving, Suffolk and Shire horses and Tribute band. Voulez-Vous, ends the first day in the President’s Garden.

Adnams Food and Drink Experience will showcase locally produced goods and wine tastings from Southwold’s biggest employer, said the Head of Retail Rupert Farquharson. New for 2009 is the Eat Suffolk cookery theatre sponsored by Healthy Ambitions Suffolk, the initiative run by the Suffolk Strategic Partnership to make it healthiest county in the UK by 2028.

Local rapeseed oil producer and steward Sam Fairs said leading chefs from around the county will give seven 45minute cookery demonstrations. Food Creation’s chef Franck Pontais, Master Chef finalist Chris Gates, Mark David of the Cooking Experience, Hadleigh, as well as an M&S and two Adnams chefs are among the line-up cooking local, seasonal, affordable food to a budget. All the recipes will feature in a glossy recipe book produced by Healthy Ambitions Suffolk and given away free at the cookery theatre.

BBC Radio Suffolk’s husband and wife team Mark Murphy and Lesley Dolphin will go into the Red Poll and Suffolk Sheep kitchen for a version of BBC’s TV’s Ready Steady Suffolk cook off.

An interactive exhibition “Suffolk – a Grain Basket for England” focuses on where food comes from and the importance of grain in FarminAnglia, alongside artwork produced by more than 1000 Suffolk students for the Schools Competition and prizes will be presented at the show.

A major rebranded and extended area this year, again to reflect the growing market trend in gardening, is the Garden and Flower Experience. Crown Nurseries has devised a “potager” style vegetable patch that includes low espalied fruit trees, herbs, vegetables and salad leaves to demonstrate how to grow your own in a limited space all year round.

Rob Storer, director of land-based curriculum studies at Otley College introduced a new feature based on TV’s Groundforce involving two college students Will Gadd and Simon Ginger, who are heading for international garden design finals later this year. They will create a garden from scratch within 36 hours. In their first joint initiative Otley College and Lowestoft Art College have produced a model garden entitled Journey Through Life, focussing on the Darwin anniversary and linking art with garden design.

The flower show stewards will put themselves in the role of exhibitors to produce for the very first time their own arrangement, designed by flower steward Roger Woolnough, to commemorate the National Association of Flower Arrangement Societies (NAFAS) 50th anniversary. As part of the celebrations Stowmarket and district branch have commissioned a fuchsia and Lady Tollemache will launch the appropriately named Suffolk Splendour on Wednesday at midday in the flower show.

The countryside ring has moved to the old conservation area where the Suffolk gun dogs, sheepdogs, Pakefield Ferrets, Adams Axeman and the Birds of Prey provide a different kind of entertainment in the ring, and alongside Otley College students will demonstrate their arboriculture skills alongside a 50ft pole erected to support the display.

With the world skills in Calgary in 2011 the Suffolk skills area will be looking for entrants – carpentry, flintnapping, bricklaying are all on the agenda and the Suffolk New College will be getting oily with its new motorcycle engineering course while hair, beauty and holistic treatments will keep things clean.

The newly rebranded Heart Sport Zone offers relaxation and a variety of sports - basketball, judo, golf, and cricket to come and try. Tony Bush, business manager of Suffolk Sport encouraged the press to check out their hearts with pedometers and give sport a go.

Entries for the livestock and equine classes, the traditional part of the show, against the economic background, are excellent with cattle oversubscribed at just under 500 and total prize money standing at £85,000. Light horse entries are well over 1100 and new for this year is a horse and hounds show jumping competition – the first round is completed by a show jumper, who hands over to the dog-handler who goes over the dog agility course, the fastest pair win.

“All that against the biggest retail space in the area for two days where you can buy a great hat for a wedding or a combine harvester just a few aisles away, or select new items for the home in the luxurious living pavilion that has three new exhibitors for 2009,” said Mr Bushby.

He finished his presentation by emphasising how the show could not go on without the hard work and massive voluntary support of the “unsung heroes” – 15 senior stewards and 300 stewards who run their businesses alongside show preparations and duties - five doctors, St John’s Ambulance, The British Red Cross, 18 vets, members of the TA and Army cadets who move jumps, hurdles and paraphernalia in and out of the show rings as well as the Scouts and Guides.

Organisers of the show, the Suffolk Agricultural Association, has also pledged its community support by giving 500 children’s tickets to Suffolk County Council Children’s Services, and a further 450 family tickets to show support to the army families stationed at the Colchester Garrison, RAF Woodbridge, RAF Honnington and Wattisham Military Base, many of whom have been on active service in Afghanistan and Iraq. As he spoke an APACHE helicopter from Wattisham Base Attack Helicopter Force landed to collect the tickets.

The Suffolk Show is held at Trinity Park on May 27 and 28, doors open 7.30am. Reduced price show tickets, £36 for a family of two adults and two children including a car park pass, £15 adults and £5, children aged 4-16 years, can be bought in advance by visiting www.suffolkshow.co.uk or calling 01473 707117. Under 4’s are free.

Tickets at the gate are £17 adults, children £6, Senior citizens, over 60, £14, family tickets £40 and cars £5.