Record visitor figures for Chester Food & Drink Fest
Thousands of food lovers basked in the Spring sunshine for the first day of this year’s Chester Food and Drink Festival. This year’s main course of Marquee events at Chester’s Castle Square kicked off with a packed main stage for two celebrity cookery demonstrations from TV chef Simon Rimmer. The Lord Mayor of Chester Cllr Sandra Rudd opened this, the sixth Chester Food and Drink Festival. More than 100 stalls of local produce made in and around Chester and the North West took record sales.
Chairman of the Chester Food and Drink Festival Stephen Wundke said: “There’s a food revolution in Cheshire and Simon is at the centre of it. Simon is the Marlon Brando of cooking. He’s a rebel cook, who has cooked more than 1,200 dishes on TV and we are delighted he has returned to Chester’s Food and Drink Festival for the third time. Tomorrow’s celebrity chef on Easter Day is Guy Woolley. On Monday, Robert Kisby, of the Cock O’Barton near Farndon and Michael Caines will be giving the public their top tips to succeed in the kitchen.”
Simon’s first cookery demonstration featured smoked Lancashire cheese potato cake with minted mushy pea puree, salmon, potatoes, chirozo, olive oil and broad beans and a lemon and poppy seed cheesecake for dessert. The second demonstration included steamed fillets of lemon soul, with red cream pesto and olive oil, vegetarian risotto, with white onions and fresh thyme. This was followed by vegetarian black pudding made of beetroot juice and whey powder. Simon then made chocolate brownies with marshmallow sauce.
Simon said: “Cheshire and the North West is the best part of the world for food, with fantastic food producers, brilliant people and produce. There is such diversity in agriculture here. Cheshire has great small producers; some of the best artisan cheese-makers in the world come from the North West.”
Earlier, Cllr Rudd opened the Marquee event programme by plunging an iron into a slab of Mollington Cheshire cheese, which was held by Simon Rimmer.
In her speech to mark the official opening of the Marquee, Cllr Rudd said: “This is the perfect day to launch the 2007 Food and Drink Festival in Castle Square. Chester is fast becoming the UK’s must visit destination for food and drink.”
Pam Sealey, The Pampered Chef, gave the first cookery demonstration of the day, creating a broccoli dish, ably supported by catering student David Franklin of West Cheshire College. Sheyl and Jonathan of Taste of Andalucia gave the final cookery demonstration of the day, where they focused on tapas, showing how to make a spinach and chic pea meal and Spanish tortilla, made of chopped potatoes, egg, olive oil and onion.
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Notes:
Simon has written two books, The Accidental Vegetarian and Rebel Cook. Simon owns Greens in West Didsbury and Earls in Hale, Manchester. Simon has appeared on UK TV Food, Great British Menu, Grubs Up and Sunday Morning.
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The first week in November is British Sausage Week. In the last five years, sausages have gone up in value by 18 per cent. A Japanese man ate 58 sausages in 10 minutes. For more details on sausages please visit: www.sausagefocus.com.
The Taste Marquee contains over 100 retailers and growers with samples of Cheshire, North Wales, national and international produce, reflecting the cosmopolitan nature of Cheshire. Highlights include a chocolate fountain & chocolatieres, icecream, wines, beers and liquers, pies, roasts and game, sausages, watercress, juices, organic products and hundreds of taste experiences. Family tickets are £12, adults £5 and concessions £3.50.
The Food and Drink Fringe Festival is taking place around the City from April 6 to 15, 2007 with special events, restaurants, bars and hotels all helping to make Chester the focus of food and drink within the UK, with theme nights, special family offers and accommodation promotions.
The Gala Awards Dinner will ensure 250 people sample a gourmet menu sourced from leading producers in the North West and celebrates the best of the region. This is on Tuesday April 10 2007.
Chester’s Food and Drink Festival is organised on behalf of Chester City Council with support from the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), Visit Chester & Cheshire; the tourism board for Cheshire and Warrington, Cheshire County Council, Made in Cheshire, North West Fine Foods and the Rural Recovery Fund.
2006 Visitor Survey 16,000 people visited the Taste Marquee and £90,000 was spent there over the three days. 51 per cent of visitors came from a distance of more than 25 miles, making a total of 8,000 people brought into the City. 78 per cent of people surveyed said the event was good or excellent. 87 per cent of people surveyed said they were likely to return. Nearly 100 producers and exhibitors were on show in the Taste Marquee, bringing their own skills and produce from Cheshire and around the world to be part of the Festival. There were seminars and competitions in micro brewing, wines, sausages and cheeses and the opportunity to taste local paté, black pudding, bread, cereals, oils, pies, meat, fish, cheeses, chocolates, liqueurs and even a juice bar.
Festival brochures will be available across the City from March. Phone 01244 351609 for more details. For further information on the region go to www.visitchester.com. More general information at www.chesterfoodanddrink.com
Press Contacts: Jane Harrad-Roberts Mob: 07785 395705 Phil Brotherhood Mob: 07884 493370 Tel: 01244 330000 MARKETING PROJECTS Email: info@marketingprojects.co.uk
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