Brighton Fringe: Foodies Festival Hove Lawns, Saturday, May 2, to Monday, May 4

THE Foodies Festival is returning to the city this weekend to launch their tenth anniversary year.

The touring celebration of food and drink, which launched in Edinburgh in 2005, mixes celebrity chefs, food, theatre and artisan food stalls on Hove Lawns.

As well as visiting Brighton and Hove this weekend, Foodies Festival 2015’s touring schedule includes dates in Birmingham, Cheshire, Harrogate, Bristol, Oxford, and London’s Alexandra Palace and Clapham Common.

Among the special guests in Brighton are Masterchef winners Ping Coombes and Matt Follas, Great British Bake Off winner John Whaite and city baker Stacie Stewart.

And some of the city’s top chefs will also be revealing some of the secrets of their trade in a series of demonstrations and masterclasses.

Among those already announced are Douglas McMaster from Silo, in Upper Gardner Street, newly announced i360 chef Josh Stanzl, Dave Mothersill from The Coal Shed in Boyce’s Street, Alun Sperring of The Chilli Pickle in Jubilee Street, Ollie Couillard from Sam’s Of Brighton in Paston Place, Matty Bowling of Terre A Terre in East Street, and Stephen Crane from Ockenden Manor in Cuckfield.

Experts Neil Phillips and Charles Metcalfe will be leading tasting sessions of this season’s best sparkling wine in the new Wine, Champagne And Craft Beer Theatre, with beer expert Melissa Cole hosting food and beer matching masterclasses.

And another new addition, the Tasting Theatre, will host masterclasses in bee keeping, oyster shucking, raw and vegan food, and foraging for herbs with Sarah Watson of Sussex-based Wild Feast.

The new obsession with baking is also catered for with the Cake And Bake Theatre, headed up by Stewart and She Who Bakes author Britt Whyatt.

There will also be classes in 3D cake modelling, chocolate making and sugarcraft.

Alongside the classes and demonstrations is a street food avenue, and a market of more than 200 artisan producers particularly focused on Sussex goods.

Plus there is a BBQ Arena with daily cook-offs, a chilli-eating competition featuring 14 different varieties of chillies, and live music from the entertainment stage. Youngsters will be taught basic skills in the Children’s Cookery Theatre hosted by Kiddy Cook.

“I am delighted that we are kicking off our 10th birthday celebrations on Hove Lawns this Bank Holiday with leading Brighton chefs,” says founder of Foodies Festival Sue Hitchen.

“Brighton was crowned champion of our chilli-eating challenge last year, so I’m sure local producers, such as award winning Burning Desire Sauces who join us for their third year, will be very popular with visitors. Let’s see if Brighton can keep the chilli-eating title!

“City baker Betsy Bakes will be in the Vintage Tea Tent this weekend and local heroes Dead Good Burrito, Crocus Paella and Sams Of Brighton will be serving up their delicious street food to feast on.”

ESSENTIAL INFO

Open Sat/Sun 11am to 8pm, Mon 11am to 7pm, tickets £13/£11. Call 0844 995 1111 or visit www.foodiesfestival.com.