The annual celebration of the city’s food and drink scene is returning to Liverpool’s Sefton Park for the tenth consecutive this September. Andrew Wright reports.
Wirral-born chef Simon Rimmer, presenter of Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch, is to host his culinary feast with guest Merseyside TV chefs at this year’s Liverpool Food and Drink Festival.
‘Simon Rimmer’s culinary feast’ will feature demonstrations by Nisha Katona of Mowgli, Paul Askew of The Art School and Aiden Byrne of Manchester House.
The audience will then be served the dishes showcased in the demonstrations by each of the three top chefs.
The event will have limited availability and will be set in a specially created pop-up restaurant at this year’s event.
Simon Rimmer will host the show in his customary conversational style, while the TV chefs share hints and tips on how to re-create some of their favourite dishes at home.
Simon Rimmer, Nisha Katona, Paul Askew and Aiden Byrne, who all have strong roots in Merseyside, have each made regular appearances at Liverpool Food and Drink Festival over the past 10 years.
Paul Askew, who has taken part in the event every year since its inception in 2007, has appeared on Saturday Kitchen and is currently competing on BBC 2’s Great British Menu. He is Patron Chef at The Art School restaurant in Liverpool city centre.
Barrister turned restaurateur, Nisha Katona, is a regular chef on ITV’s This Morning, and is the ‘curry evangelist’ behind Indian street food restaurant, Mowgli, which has two venues in Liverpool.
Kirkby-born Aiden Byrne, who became the youngest chef ever to win a Michelin star at the age of 22, is the chef behind The Church Green gastro pub in Lymm, The British Grill at MacDonald Craxton Wood Hotel near Chester and Manchester House, which he opened with Living Ventures in 2013.
Simon Rimmer, who has eateries in West Kirby and Woolton, said: “Liverpool boasts some fantastic culinary talent and the high calibre of young chefs coming through is testament to the city’s thriving food and drink scene.
“Liverpool Food and Drink Festival is a great opportunity to celebrate the city’s success and its growing reputation for food and drink excellence. It’s a real honour to be hosting the culinary feast, which will showcase such talented local chefs as Aiden, Paul and Nisha. They are all great ambassadors for the city’s food and drink sector and I love the ‘demo and dine’ format; it’s going to be a lot of fun!”
Liverpool Food and Drink Festival is a pop-up event, which brings together the city’s best restaurants, bars, cafes and producers.
Tickets to Simon Rimmer’s culinary feast at Liverpool Food and Drink Festival cost £29.50 and must be booked in advance.
Visitors will have a choice of attending one of three sessions, which start at 11:30am, 2:15pm and 4.45pm. Tickets are available online: www.