Final preparations for Liverpool Food and Drink Festival are in full swing as Sefton Park prepares to host a giant feast from 15-16 September. The pop-up event, which will be brimming with tasty treats, features cookery demonstrations by celebrity chefs and masterclasses with industry experts, as well as live music and family entertainment.
As the much loved festival returns for its eleventh year, visitors will have the chance to see two Michelin starred chef Raymond Blanc OBE in action as he prepares some of his top dishes in the ‘Celebrity Chef Demo Theatre’. High profile Merseyside chefs Ellis Barrie, Anton Piotrowski, Gary Usher and Chelsea Campbell from the BBC’s Million Pound Menu will also take to the stage to share a few culinary secrets as they showcase some of their favourite recipes.
Chefs from Fazenda, Silk Rd and Miller and Carter will join local craft butchers, Bexley’s, to show off their skills on the festival barbecue. There will also be a whole host of chefs from local restaurants, including Neon Jamon, Crazy Pedro’s, Picnic and The Titanic Hotel’s Stanley’s Bar and Grill, serving up their signature dishes throughout the weekend, as well as a producers’ market and international street food stalls.
During a series of ‘Top Tipple Masterclasses’, visitors can brush up on their knowledge of hops and barley as experts from Brooklyn Brewery, Blackstorm Brewery and Innis and Gunn reveal some fascinating facts in about craft beers. If that whets the appetite, there will also be a whole bar dedicated to craft beers, where aficionados can sample flavours from the north west and beyond.
Fazenda’s Chris Milner will also be taking wine lovers on a journey through the vineyards of Argentina, while wine writer, Jane Clare, will be sharing her secrets on how to choose a good Prosecco. Armed with the lowdown from the experts, wine buffs can enjoy a glass of fizz at the Prosecco bar or sample wines from around the world with Pieroth, Perfect Tipple and Inspiring Wines.
Visitors looking to spice up the weekend even further can join the experts from Heswall-based Chilli Gourmets and artisan spice and tea company, Spice Kitchen, for a masterclass on how to cook with fresh chillies, herbs and spices.
There will be a variety of different sessions to choose from including ‘Spicy Mediterranean Munchies’, where blossoming chefs can learn how to make falafel and flatbreads with amber chilli sauce and pickled chillies and an ‘Indian Spice Kitchen’ masterclass, where participants can learn how to grind and blend spices and create an authentic chickpea curry. The dishes prepared during the ‘Chilli and Spice’ masterclasses can be enjoyed at the festival or taken home to eat afterwards.
Neighbourhood coffee, Liverpool’s first speciality coffee roasters will be giving demonstrations on how to prepare the perfect coffee at home with special 15 minute masterclasses throughout the weekend.
There will also be plenty of family fun on offer for younger visitors from science parties and aerobics to football coaching with the LFC Foundation and Everton in the Community. Little ones can also enjoy vintage fairground rides, face painting, glitter painting, nature themed quizzes and arts and crafts.
Isabella Kantor, Liverpool Food and Drink Festival Manager, said: “We’re hugely excited about bringing Liverpool Food and Drink Festival back to Sefton Park for the eleventh consecutive year.
“Whether you’re a serious foodie interested in picking up some tips and inspiration from a Michelin starred chef, a wine buff looking to brush up on your knowledge or you’re simply looking for a great day out, you really won’t be disappointed with what’s in store. As the final preparations are put into place, this Liverpool Food and Drink Festival looks set to be the best yet and we’re really looking forward to welcoming visitors.”
Tickets to Liverpool Food and Drink Festival start from £7 per day and £11.50 for the whole weekend with free entry for children under 14.
Visit www.liverpoolfoodanddrinkfestival.co.uk for tickets and further information.
Search Liverpool Food and Drink Festival on Facebook, follow @LivFoodDrink on Twitter and @LivFoodFest on Instagram to keep up to date with the latest news.
