26th September 2015, Thame, Oxfordshire
The eighth annual Thame Food Festival takes place on Saturday 26th September 2015, bringing a stellar line-up of celebrity chefs and a wealth of good food and drink to one of Oxfordshire’s prettiest historic market towns.
Cooking live this year in the cookery theatre sponsored by AGA will be Raymond Blanc OBE, who makes the short journey every year from Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons to support the festival and delight visitors with his passion for cooking with fresh, seasonal produce.
He will be joined by Sophie Grigson who has recently opened Sophie’s Kitchen at the Story Museum in Pembroke Street, Oxford, offering good homemade food dishes for visitors old and young alongside Saturday morning classes to inspire a love of cooking in children. Sophie will cook some of her favourite dishes from the café in her session.
Breton baker Richard Bertinet will be sharing the secrets of his sell-out bread making classes at The Bertinet Cookery School in one of the highlights in the cookery theatre this year as well as signing copies of his many baking volumes in the pop-up book shop.
The festival’s first ever cookery demo devised especially for children will be with BBC One’s MasterChef winner 2013 Natalie Coleman, who has recently taken up the role of Ambassador of Central Street Cookery School at St Luke’s Community Centre in London. This one is just for the kids who love the excitement of learning how to cook and trying new foods. Grown-ups will be able to see Natalie on the interview stage with festival patron Lotte Duncan and buy signed copies of her new book Winning Recipes for Every Day.
Celebrities from the baking world will also be out in force at the festival, helping to judge the first ever baking competition The Big Thame Bake and also rustling up their own delectable treats in the cookery theatre.
Great British Bake Off Winner 2013 Frances Quinn will present the prizes to the winning bakers at 12 noon before taking her place alongside other GBBO contestants including Luis Troyano, Miranda Gore Browne and Howard Middleton, for a group interview session with Lotte Duncan. Food writer Jane Hornby will be making sure the Big Thame Bake rises to perfection, with QVC cookery presenter Simon Brown keeping the cookery theatre running smoothly.
Visitors will be able to meet the celebrity chefs in the pop-up book shop and restock their cookery book library at the same time, as well as enjoy a fantastic free foodie day out.
“The Thame Food Festival is truly one of the landmark events in the food calendar which just gets better each year,” says festival patron Lotte Duncan. “It’s a day dedicated to good local food and drink with inspirational talks and cookery demos, the pick of the region’s producers, authentic street food and live music – all the ingredients for a brilliant day out. Don’t miss it.”
The Thame Food Festival takes place from 9am to 5pm on Saturday 26th September 2015 in the heart of Thame town centre. For more information, to book any of the special festival events and to sign up for the Big Thame Bake, please go to www.thamefoodfestival.co.uk.
