Three Counties Food and Drink Festival completes Sunday line-up of celebrity guests, and announces exciting new features for 2023

The Three Counties Food and Drink Festival has announced that Matt Tebbutt, Jean-Christophe Novelli and Masterchef finalist, Pookie, will complete the Sunday line-up of celebrity guests for this year’s show.

The brand-new festival, which will be held at Three Counties Showground, Malvern, across the weekend of Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th July, promises to be a foodie heaven with over 150 of the best food and drink vendors from the Three Counties region and beyond. The festival will also offer an exciting programme of have-a-go activities, interactive workshops, and entertainment for the whole family to enjoy.

The latest batch of celebrity chefs will take to the stage in the festival’s 500 seat Cookery Theatre, which is accessible to all ticketholders, who will be treated to cookery demonstrations from the culinary guests, and gather inspiration for new recipes and techniques to try at home. Chris Bavin, presenter of BBC’s Eat Well For Less?, will host the Cookery Theatre demonstrations across the weekend.

Announced to be headlining the stage on Sunday 30th July is Matt Tebbutt. Matt is one of the UK’s most popular chefs and is the current host of BBC’s Saturday Kitchen, where he has been entertaining audiences since 2017. He regularly contributes to several food publications including Waitrose Weekend, along with authoring several of his own cookbooks. Matt will bring with him his passion for local ingredients and sustainable food practices.

Joining Matt is Pookie, a 2022 Masterchef finalist from Solihull, who is known for her vibrant and colourful dishes. Since competing on the show, Pookie has gone on to work with numerous high-profile clients, and has been featured in publications such as Vogue and The Sunday Times. Pookie’s infectious personality has made her a favourite across the UK food festival circuit, and she will showcase her innovative culinary creations in the Cookery Theatre.

Completing the Sunday line-up is Jean-Christophe Novelli, an acclaimed chef and restauranteur who has worked in some of the world’s top restaurants across his career. Jean-Christophe has been awarded many prestigious accolades for his cookery skills, including an incredible four Michelin stars, and has appeared on various television shows including Hell’s Kitchen, and his own series, Chef Academy. He will be sharing his knowledge of classical French cuisine with audiences at the Three Counties Food and Drink Festival.

The new celebrity guests join the previously announced Saturday Cookery Theatre line-up which includes legendary chef Rosemary Shraeger, Great British Bake Off winner John Whaite and Dirty Vegan’s Matt Pritchard.

In addition to the celebrity demonstrations, there will also be a multitude of opportunities for festival-goers to get hands-on in interactive activities. For visitors with a passion for beverages, the festival has announced a programme of exciting drinks workshops, allowing them to taste and tipple their way around the event.

Coffee connoisseurs can begin each day with a boost at 10:45am as they put their barista skills and coffee tasting expertise to the test alongside Herefordshire-based Black Mountain Roast. Participants to the exclusive workshop will learn to pour the perfect espresso shot while sampling the brand’s signature espresso Martinis. And that’s not all for cocktail enthusiasts as Midsummer Nightcap will be adding some sparkle across both days with their 3pm Disco Divas Cocktail Classes, teaching festival-goers to create and shake their very own disco-themed cocktails to help impress friends and family at their next drinks party.

Black Mountain Botanicals will also be offering visitors the chance to sample seven of their award-winning creations in their daily Spirit Tasting sessions at 1:30pm, in which spectators can expect to be taken on a journey from field to bottle, with plenty of tasting opportunities on the way.

Tickets to the festival’s workshops are strictly limited and can be booked online in advance to guarantee availability.

“We have worked so hard to create a diverse and exciting line-up of guests and activities, and with the addition of our new celebrity guests and programme of fantastic food and drink workshops which will run alongside our previously announced wine-tasting sessions and children’s Cookery School, we believe that there is something for everybody at the Three Counties Food and Drink Festival” said Bev Channell, Festival Organiser.

Tickets for the festival are on sale now and can be purchased via the festival website. With ticket prices from just £12 this is a great and affordable family day out. VIP ticket options are also available.

three-counties-food-drink-logoFor more information about Three Counties Food and Drink Festival, including a full schedule of events and guests, please visit the festival website https://www.threecountiesfoodfestival.com