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Celebrity chef John Torode joins Bolton Food and Drink Festival 2014

TV presenter and chef John Torode will be among the leading lights of an all-star line-up for thos year’s Bolton Food and Drink Festival.

The celebrity Aussie chef and restaurateur will be appearing at the event for the first time. Everyone’s favourite Italian chef Gino D’Acampo will be making a welcome return, and festival favourites James Martin and Michael Caines are also on the billing.

The four-day foodie spectacular featuring celeb chefs, a large speciality food and drink market, and free street entertainment will take place once again in the town centre over the August Bank Holiday weekend, from Friday, August 22 to Monday, August 25.

John Torode has become a household name thanks to MasterChef and John Torode’s Australia. He moved to the UK in the nineties and worked as a sous-chef for the Conran Group.

He will be appearing in a dedicated marquee on Victoria Square, on Sunday, August 24 - and in a twist to the usual format, as well as doing a cooking demo, he will be judging a cook-off between top regional chefs.

He said: “It’s fantastic to be part of Bolton Food and Drink Festival. This will be my first time at the event and I can’t wait. I’m passionate about good, beautifully cooked, British food so I’m really looking forward to being involved.

And Italian chef Gino D’Acampo will be making a welcome return on Saturday, August 23, having appeared at the festival twice before.

He said: “I’m so excited that I’m coming back to the Bolton Food and Drink Festival. I love Bolton, and everyone was so lovely when I came down before. I can’t wait to meet everyone again and cook up some more fantastico Italian food.”

The festival, now in its ninth year, will once again be launched by two-Michelin starred chef Michael Caines on the Friday, and fellow festival favourite James Martin will take centre stage on Bank Holiday Monday, August 25.

The Leader of Bolton Council, Councillor Cliff Morris, said: “Bolton Food and Drink Festival is without doubt one of the best food festivals in the UK, and it just gets better and better every year.

“Last year’s festival was our biggest yet with 130,000 visitors and we’re hoping for even more this year.

“The event is a real celebration of the best of local and regional produce, with traders coming from far and wide. It’s fantastic to have John on board this year and we’re sure he will be a real success. Together with Gino and our festival regulars James Martin and Michael Caines we’ve got a spectacular line-up of chefs.

“We are also organising some exciting new children’s activities so there really will be something for everyone. The festival really will be one not to be missed.”

Bolton Food and Drink Festival is organised by Bolton Council and sponsored by Bluemantle, Stateside Foods, and Market Place Shopping Centre.

Partners so far this year include Bolton Market, Kro Bar, Marriott, and The Octagon Theatre.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Simon Malia .