Visitors to a much-loved food festival can expect to be wowed by a who’s who of the culinary world at this year’s event, from a major presenter, to a formidable baking show judge.
Delivered by Durham County Council, Seaham Food Festival will return for another spectacular year in what will be a weekend of food, fun, and entertainment on Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 August.
Headlining this year’s festival on the Sunday is popular presenter Matt Tebbutt, known for his incredible work on Saturday Kitchen on BBC One and Best Bites on BBC Two. Plus, he has recently been announced as the third judge on BBC’s MasterChef the Professionals.
His expertise comes from a wealth of experience, having worked for some of London’s most prestigious chefs, including Marco Pierre White at the Oak Room and Criterion, and Alastair Little, who Matt cites as the greatest influence on his cuisine.
For 10 years, he owned and ran The Foxhunter restaurant in Nant-y-derry near Usk in South Wales, which won a number of awards, including the AA Restaurant of the Year for Wales award.
It doesn’t stop there, Matt has written three cookery books featuring all his favourite recipes and when he’s not hosting demos and appearances at various food shows and festivals, he regularly contributes to food and travel magazines.
Joining him is an exceptional line up across the weekend, including formidable judge on Channel 4’s Bake Off: The Professionals, Cherish Finden who will be attending on the Saturday.
Known for her incredible attention to detail, which is famously second to none, Cherish is a highly decorated pastry chef who pushes the boundaries of what can be achieved with a dessert.
With over 25 years of international experience, Cherish has earned a plethora of awards over the course of her career, notably, the prestigious Top London Afternoon Tea Award at the Tea Guild Awards.
Also on the Saturday is Cyrus Todiwala OBE, a chef, author, entrepreneur and educationalist, whose name has become synonymous with innovation and excellence in Indian cuisine. Originally from Bombay, Cyrus moved to London with his wife Pervin, in the early 1990s.
With little more than a handful of belongings, but armed with extraordinary culinary skill and vision, he opened Café Spice Namasté, a restaurant that redefined expectations of Indian food in Britain. He’s also a familiar face on television and radio, appearing on BBC Saturday Kitchen, BBC Radio 4’s Food Programme, and Channel 4’s Snackmasters. He’ll be cooking from his book Modern Indian during the event.
Also entertaining audiences on Saturday, is Shelina Permalloo, who wowed the judges of BBC’s MasterChef in 2012 after winning the TV show using her unique dishes from Mauritius, the small island in Africa. Following her win, Shelina opened Lakaz Maman Street Kitchen in Southampton. She has also written three cookbooks, with her latest ‘What to cook when everyone’s hungry’, and is a regular face on TV.
Moving to Sunday, along with headliner Matt, visitors can enjoy the sights and smells of Italian cooking with Francesco Mattana – Italian chef, author and influencer. Born and raised on the island of Sardinia, Francesco founded a small Italian restaurant and pizzeria in Brisbane, Australia, which was nominated one of the top Italian restaurants in the city.
He has since built a loyal following across his social media platforms, with over 2.5m followers. Francesco’s highly anticipated debut cookbook East Like a Sardinian: Live to 100, was published earlier this month.
Finally, for those with a sweet tooth, Seaham will be welcoming master chocolatier, Oliver Dunn aka Oli The Choc. Having grown up in the family business and a chocolate-filled childhood, Oli is on a mission to unlock festivalgoers’ creativity through the magic of chocolate.
Bringing the whole weekend together is popular presenter and experienced food festival host, Chris Bavin. Chris is co-presenter of BBC One’s hugely successful series Eat Well for Less? He has also presented Tomorrow’s Food with Dara O’Briain, The Truth about Meat and is co-presenter of BBC One’s long-running series, Food: Truth or Scare, with Gloria Hunniford. He will be a deft hand at introducing acts and making visitors feel warm and welcome as he entertains them throughout the event.
Cllr Karen Allison, Durham County Council’s Cabinet member for leisure, tourism, regeneration and high street, said: “The line up for this year’s Seaham Food Festival promises another great event, with TV names including Matt Tebbutt and Cherish Finden, to something new and different with Oli the Choc. The expertise and range of culinary variety on display means there will be something for everyone, with people able to enjoy tastes from around the world.
“We’re encouraging people to mark the day on their calendars and we look forward to seeing everyone for what we’re sure will be a fantastic weekend for food lovers everywhere.”
