Seaham Festival serves up star line-up

A County Durham food festival is set to welcome a packed line-up of celebrity chefs, presenters and culinary experts for a weekend of cooking, entertainment and family fun.

Seaham Food Festival will return on Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 August, bringing well-known names from television, restaurants and social media to the town.

Delivered by Durham County Council, the event will be headlined on Sunday by Matt Tebbutt, presenter of BBC One’s Saturday Kitchen and BBC Two’s Best Bites, who was recently announced as the third judge on MasterChef the Professionals.

He will be joined across the weekend by a wide range of culinary talent, including Cherish Finden, judge on Channel 4’s Bake Off: The Professionals, who will appear on Saturday.

Also taking part on Saturday is Cyrus Todiwala OBE, the chef, author and entrepreneur known for redefining Indian cuisine in Britain through Café Spice Namasté. 

He will be cooking from his book Modern Indian.

MasterChef 2012 winner Shelina Permalloo will also appear, bringing flavours inspired by Mauritius, alongside her experience as a restaurateur, cookbook author and television chef.

Cherish Finden, left, and Cyrus Todiwala OBE

Sunday’s programme will also include Italian chef, author and influencer Francesco Mattana, pictured below, who has built a global following of more than 2.5 million people and recently released his debut cookbook Eat Like a Sardinian.

Master chocolatier Oliver Dunn, also known as Oli The Choc, will add a sweet touch to the weekend with chocolate-focused demonstrations designed to inspire festivalgoers.

Oliver Dunn and Shelina Permalloo

The event will be hosted by presenter Chris Bavin, pictured below, best known for BBC One’s Eat Well for Less? and being co-presenter of BBC One’s long-running series, Food: Truth or Scare with Gloria Hunniford, who will introduce chefs and entertain visitors throughout the weekend.

Organisers say the festival will offer a mix of cooking demonstrations, food, entertainment and live appearances from some of the best-known names in the culinary world.

The free event is expected to attract large crowds to Seaham as it returns for another year of food-led celebration.

Councillor Karen Allison, Durham County Council’s cabinet member for leisure, tourism, regeneration and high street, said: “The line up for this year’s Seaham Food Festival promises another great event, with TV names including Matt Tebbutt and Cherish Finden, to something new and different with Oli the Choc. 

“The expertise and range of culinary variety on display means there will be something for everyone, with people able to enjoy tastes from around the world.

“We’re encouraging people to mark the day on their calendars and we look forward to seeing everyone for what we’re sure will be a fantastic weekend for food lovers everywhere.”

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