St Albans businesses will be showing off their strengths too at the UK’s Strongest Man competition.

This weekend's three-day festival, which takes place in Verulamium Park from July 26-28, will see 16 men battle it out to be crowned champion.

The event is back in St Albans for the second time and visitors will be able to enjoy plenty of what our city has to offer.

St Albans's newest pub, Mad Squirrel, will be running the bar at the event and the barbecue will be run by My Backyard Kitchen, a St Albans-based, family-run catering company that specialises in a menu of dishes fusing Mediterranean and Eastern European food. Ye Olde Fighting Cocks will be providing the food for VIP guests and athletes along with HiiT Kitchen.

Perfect Balance Clinic will have sports therapists on site for the athletes, while local construction company Graham Hall Builders will be sponsoring the children's entertainment area.

Roman Cars of Verulam Road will be showing off their cars for the final eliminator events, while Colney Street transportation company Forward Trucking Services will once again supply the vehicle for the truck pull.

The event's charity partner will be local family support charity Home-Start Herts.

UK's Strongest Man executive producer and St Albans resident David McConachie said: "I am really proud to be bringing UK's Strongest Man to my hometown for the second year in a row.

"As an events organiser, I think it is really important to support local businesses.

"Events like UK's Strongest Man bring thousands of people to the city so working with local suppliers at the event gives them a platform to showcase what they do to this whole new audience.

"And we know for a fact that events really help to boost the visitor economy, as last year, we spoke to local city-centre businesses, who said they seen an increase in takings during the weekend of UK's Strongest Man.

"So while we are putting on an event that has a national and international audience, it is really important to ensure that we support our St Albans community."

Tickets can be bought for each day or for the weekend. Family tickets start at £10 per person, plus booking fee. See ultimatestrongman.tv/ for details.