Rochdale Food & Drink Festival announces first names on line-up

Date published: 05 December 2018

Visitors to next year’s Rochdale Food & Drink Festival in March 2019 in and around Rochdale Town Hall, are in for a treat.

Television chef Dean Edwards and Rochdale’s star foodie Andrew Nutter will be amongst the guests cooking at the festival next spring. Children’s favourite Mr Bloom will be appearing on the family stage, along with more guests still to be announced.

A finalist on the BBC’s ‘Masterchef’ back in 2006 Dean is a familiar face on television. His family friendly cooking style made him a firm favourite on ITV’s ‘Lorraine.’ He’s the author of three cookbooks  - ‘Mincespiration’, ‘Feel-Good Family Food’ and his latest, ‘Cook Slow’ which features stress free recipes for slow cookers and conventional ovens. On his @deanedwardschef Twitter and Instagram social platforms he regularly shares family friendly recipes to his 39,000 followers.

Local star chef Andrew Nutter has had an amazing career since coming runner-up in the National Junior Cook of the Year competition aged just 13-years-old. Seven years later he launched ‘Nutters’ Restaurant, which celebrated its 25th anniversary earlier this year. He’s won multiple awards, including Lancashire Chef of the Year, Restaurant of the Year, and ‘Rochdale Man of the Year.’  In 2016 he opened gastropub ‘The Bird At Birtle.’

Mr Bloom, from CBeebies will be performing on the family stage, featuring a bundle of veggie stories, gardening games and catchy nursery songs for tiddlers and their parents! His stage show includes the familiar songs, stories and games from his popular television series. To sum it up in the words of a famous aubergine: ‘Let’s sing and dance and have some fun!’

The festival food theatre will be located inside the grade one listed town hall along with plenty of stalls and activities. There’ll be an outside food and drink village, an indoor seating area to watch chef demonstrations on a big screen, themed foodie workshops plus live music and activities – with lots to offer from nearby local pubs, bars and restaurants.

More details will be confirmed later this month and tickets for chef demonstrations and Mr Bloom go on sale in January.

Councillor Janet Emsley, cabinet member for neighbourhoods, community and culture at Rochdale Borough Council said: “I’m very pleased to see this event returning next year. As well as the chef demonstrations we will have a tempting range of food and drink stalls and another programme of fabulous entertainment. So if you are a local foodie business interested in trading at the festival, do get in touch with us now.”

Rochdale Food & Drink Festival is on Saturday 16 March, open from 11am to 8pm.