A host of talented regional chefs will show off their culinary skills at this year's Bolton Food and Drink Festival.
Manchester House’s Aiden Byrne, 2015 Masterchef winner Simon Wood, celebrity chef Andrew Nutter and Great British Menu star and head chef at The French, Adam Reid all feature in the festival’s regional chef schedule.
John Whaite, winner of the third series of the popular TV show Great British Bake Off, and resident chef on the Lorraine ITV daytime programme will also be showing off his skills in two demos on Sunday.
Demonstrations will take place over the Bank Holiday weekend, from August 26 to 29 in the Lifestyle Hall, at Bolton Market on Ashburner Street and in a regional chefs’ marquee, on Corporation Street.
The festival is organised by Bolton Council in association with Aldi, and there will be 29 cookery demos by 20 chefs over four days.
The regional chef demos will be free of charge, but in addition there will be a special cook-off between culinary kings Aiden Byrne and Andrew Nutter on the bank holiday Monday afternoon at 2.30pm (cost £5).
This is in addition to the ticketed demos by festival headliners Simon Rimmer, Ainsley Harriott, and James Martin.
In the packed programme over the weekend, David Smart, the boss of Bolton bakery Greenhalghs, and local chefs Nick Cullen, Mike Harrison, and Alain Job who runs Nkono food stall at Bolton Market, will also be cooking amazing dishes to get the crowd's tastebuds tingling.
Great British Bake-off star Luis Troyano and Come Dine With Me winner Polly Guy – who now has a successful chutney and preserves business - will also be appearing on Saturday.
Leader of Bolton Council, Cllr Cliff Morris, said: “We have a fantastic line-up of regional chefs which just shows how popular our festival has become.
“Many of the chefs performing demos are household names and all are extremely talented. We are very lucky to have such a rich pool of talent in the North West.
“To have a chance to see such brilliant chefs over one weekend in the centre of Bolton is a great opportunity and we are delighted to host a showcase of their skills.”
Other chefs include: Kishnan Kant from Sai Spice in Farnworth; Scott Bannon from Boars Head in Houghton; Andrew George from Icky Sticky Cakes; Laurence Tottingham who has worked with Heston Blumenthal; Rose Dummer, aka Rosie Cake Diva; pastry chef Jessica O’Keeffe from In Truffle We Trust, and John Sergeant from The Last Drop Village.
Tickets are not required for the free cookery demos. Tickets for the Aiden Byrne and Andrew Nutter cook-off and celebrity chefs are available from Bolton Octagon Theatre, via www.boltonfoodanddrinkfestival.com or by calling 01204 520661. The box office is open 9am to 7pm, Monday to Saturday.
For updates visit www.boltonfoodanddrinkfestival.com
