Glorious sunshine beamed upon the ninth annual Slice of Haven Food and wine Festival in Laurieton on Sunday.

15,000 people enjoyed the food, beer, coffee, gourmet food, magicians, music and were thoroughly entertained by celebrity chef Clayton Donovan.

Burn for Yew, selling smoked meats, pulled for roles, mouth-watering brisket and slaw had sold out at 1.30pm.

“Unbelievable,” said Brad Hodges, owner of Burn for Yew.

“We sold over 1,000 portions of food. It’s amazing.”

Chef Clayton Donovan used Birpai elder, Uncle Bill O’Brien’s Welcome to Country, as inspiration for his signature Camden Haven dish; Jerseyville prawns with a macadamia and lemon myrtle crust, served with warrigal greens and macadamia pesto with chilli and aioli.

“Uncle Bill’s Welcome to Country is the most beautiful welcome in Australia,” he said.

Visitors were able to taste country thanks to XS Foods who recreated several hundred portions.

Ever the showman, Clayton had the audience chiming in with questions and comments ranging from where to source warrigal greens and lemon myrtle, to the tragedy that is the Cronulla Sharks.

Families chilled out in the shade on picnic blankets or chairs and tables sipping a locally-brewed beverage and tasting the best food on the Mid North Coast.

The volunteer organising committee spokesperson Kerry McFadyen said the event was a stunning success for stallholders and visitors.

“We were honoured to host Clayton Donovan who created a dish that gave visitors the opportunity to put a taste of the Camden Haven on their tongue,” Kerry said.

“When you can get that flavour, on the banks of the Camden Haven River, created from ingredients sourced right here, and sit in this space listening to local musicians, Slice doesn’t get much better than that.”