Festival headline TV chef revealed
ABBC Saturday Kitchen presenter is one of the three latest chefs announced for the Bishop Auckland Food Festival in April.
The festival returns to the town on Saturday, April 20, and Sunday, April 21, after attracting an estimated 28,000 visitors in 2023.
During the festival, the Market Place is transformed and packed with food stalls of all kinds, while demonstrations take place on the cookery stage.
Saturday’s headliners were announced earlier this month, including BOSH! duo Henry Firth and Ian Theasby.
And Durham County Council has now revealed that Sunday’s headliner is BBC Saturday Kitchen and Best Bites presenter, Matt Tebbutt.
Matt, whose Food Unwrapped show is in its eighth series, has also written three cookery books and is a regular contributor to food and travel magazines.
He can’t wait to take part in the festival, saying: “I know this is a big date in the town’s calendar and I’m really looking forward to meeting everyone in Bishop.
“I love being close enough to interact with people and see their faces and how they respond to what we’re up to on stage.
“It’s a little more relaxed than Saturday Kitchen, that’s for sure! I’m on stage with some amazing chefs so get yourself there – you’ll get plenty of cooking inspiration.”
Matt will share Sunday’s stage with Cyrus Todiwala, who he knows from Saturday Kitchen, while Cyrus has also been a regular guest on James Martin’s Saturday Morning programme.
Cyrus founded Cafe Spice Namaste in London in the 1990s and it is now the longest running Michelin Bib restaurant in the world.
Completing Sunday’s line-up is food content creator Meliz Berg. Her first book, Meliz’s kitchen, became an immediate Sunday Times number one bestseller when it was released in June 2022.
She has appeared on ITV’s This Morning and Channel 4’s Steph’s Packed Lunch and shares her recipes on Instagram.
All three celebrity chefs will be giving demonstrations on the stage on Sunday, April 21 and will be joined by TV presenter Chris Bavin, who returns as host once again.
Also returning is Bishop Auckland’s own MasterChef contender, Mike Bartley, who will offer a fine dining experience at Bishop Auckland Town Hall at 7pm on Saturday, April 20.
Coun Elizabeth Scott, Durham County Council’s Cabinet member for economy and partnerships, said: “The cookery demonstrations are always a highlight and we’ve got another fantastic line-up of celebrity chef guests to look forward to.
“Having these well-known names and faces join us helps us pull in visitors from far and wide, which is great for the town.
“There’s lots more to look forward to, and we’ll be sharing full details of the traders, workshops and entertainment in the coming weeks.”
I’m on stage with some amazing chefs so get yourself there – you’ll get plenty of cooking inspiration Matt Tebbutt