Worthing Food And Drink Festival

Pavilion Theatre, Marine Parade, and Promenade, Worthing, Saturday, July 4, and Sunday, July 5

“A FLAVOUR of the seaside” is the theme for the fourth Worthing Food And Drink Festival which takes over the seafront this weekend.

The event, which has been put together by the Worthing Town Centre Initiative, Proto Restaurant Group and Worthing Theatres, features special guest appearances by two celebrity chefs.

Jean-Christophe Novelli began his career as a 14-year-old working in a bakery in his hometown Arras. He became private head chef to Elie de Rothschild at the age of 19.

Coming to the UK in 1983 he spent a year as head chef at Keith Floyd’s pub The Maltsters, eventually opening four restaurants in London in 1996.

More recently the Michelin-starred chef has become known as a judge on ITV’s Britain’s Best Chef and worked in Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen in 2005 as head chef, as well as running the Novelli Academy in Hertfordshire. He will appear in the festival’s kitchen and stage programme at the Pavilion Theatre tomorrow from 12.30pm to 2.30pm.

On Sunday the demonstration kitchen is turned over to Ladette To Lady cuisine teacher and Soapstar Superchef judge Rosemary Shrager at 12.15pm and 2pm.

Currently running a cookery school in Tunbridge Wells, Shrager built her reputation as head chef at Amhuinnsuidhe Castle on the Hebridean Isle Of Harris from 1998 to 2002, where she filmed her first Channel 5 series Castle Cook before moving to Swinton Park in North Yorkshire for ten years.

She has since appeared on ITV with her School For Cooks, presented Royal Upstairs Downstairs and appeared on This Morning, The Alan Titchmarsh Show and even as a contestant on I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here.

Also appearing on the stage over the weekend will be The Fish Factory, Vice Puddings, Busby’s Bakery, Riverford Organics and the Fat Greek Taverna, as well as two rounds of a doughnut eating competition to eat six in a minute without licking your lips.

Throughout the weekend there will be more than 50 stalls, including Loran Cake Company, West Sussex Coeliac Group, Flint And Flame, Daisy Moos, The Alehouse And Kitchen, Northbrook College, Sam’s Real Fudge, The Olive Jar, South Coast Macaroons and Big Eats Smokehouse.

Look out for wine tasting, and a kids zone offering food-related fun, face-painting and arts and crafts.

Since its launch in 2012 the festival attracts thousands of visitors over the weekend – and judging by the weather this week it could be a record-breaker along the seafront this year.

Starts 10am to 5pm, free. Call 01903 206206 or visit www.facebook.com/AWFoodDrinkFest

Full live stage programme:

Saturday

11am Event opened by Dave Hunt

11.15am Doughnut-eating competition

11.30am Cookery demonstration by The Fish Factory

12.30pm Jean Christophe-Novelli

3pm Cookery demonstration by Vice Puddings.

Sunday

11am Event opened by Dave Hunt

11.15am Doughnut-eating competition

11.30am Cookery demonstration by Busbys Bakery

12.15pm Rosemary Shrager

1.15pm Riverford Organics

2pm Rosemary Shrager

3pm Cookery demonstration by The Fat Greek Taverna.