There will be some exciting new features, producers and demonstrators at this year's Beccles Food and Drink Festival.
Returning to the town next Saturday, May 27, from 10am to 4pm, the organisers have lined up a packed programme for the cookery theatre, which will run at the Public Hall.
Canadian Tyler Torrance, chef patron of The Boarding House in Halesworth, will kick off proceedings with one of his dishes featuring local produce. Mr Torrance trained in Vancouver and, after moving to the UK, worked with Heston Blumenthal before moving on to The Crown in Southwold and Brudenell Hotel in Aldeburgh. He took on The Boarding House in 2016.
He will be followed by a catering student from East Coast College Great Yarmouth Campus, which is running the cookery theatre, producing a sponge dessert.
Then follows a talk on wine production by Ben Witchell, owner of Flint Vineyard at Earsham, which has just bottled it's first batch of wine. It will be available to sample at the festival.
A butchery demonstration by Jim's Butchers of Great Yarmouth leads into a 'Ready, Steady, Cook' competition between two college students, where the audience choose the winner. David Nash, head chef at Andover House in Great Yarmouth, will then demonstrate a twist on a chicken caesar salad, before Mark Jermey from the Fishmonger at No.4 in Beccles rounds off the programme with a talk on buying fish and preparing a sea bass.
As well as welcoming back many stallholders from the previous two years events, 14 of the 64 stalls booked to attend are new to the festival.
Another new feature on the Grazing Trail for 2017's event is the introduction of 'specials' or deals at some of the town's eateries, cafés and stores. Included in these are Domino's and Roys, both new to the event, and, along with the children's entertainment and a pop-up café at the library, have allowed the organisers to extend the trail into Blyburgate.
Free park and ride buses will be available from Beccles Quay, provided by BACT, and will run every 15 minutes from 9.45am to 4.15pm.
For more details, the cookery theatre programme, and a map showing car parking and festival locations, visit www.becclesfoodfestival.co.uk
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