Culinary specialists announced for Heaton Park Food and Drink Festival

The Heaton Park Food and Drink Festival has revealed a star-studded line-up of culinary experts for its third year in a row.

The event’s Live Cookery Theatre offers an immersive experience with some of the region’s top chefs.

The line-up, featuring a MasterChef UK contestant, innovative and inspirational specialists of their craft, and independent business owners, provides a guide to the secrets of cooking mastery.

Great British Bake Off star Makbul Patel will present the guests who will perform live demonstrations.

Saturday, August 3

Haley Taylor (Fish Made Easy): Kicking off the event is independent business owner and fishmonger Haley Taylor.

Hayley will transform a range of fresh seafood ingredients into exquisite and vibrant dishes.

Brian Mellor (The Monastery Manchester): Brian Mellor, consultant chef at a beautiful modern-day monastery in Manchester, founded the Northwest Young Chef of the Year in 2001.

He is a renowned chef tutor and cookery theatre host who has inspired and mentored chefs nationwide.

Sean Noonan (Grange Farm, Lowton): Sean demonstrated his culinary excellence as the head chef of Mitton Hall Hotel and winner of the Teflon Diamond Standard National Young Chef of The Year.

Now a chef at Grange Farm, Sean thrives on turning fresh and seasonal produce into flavourful and aromatic creations.

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Chef Marc Mole (Food Sourcery): Renowned chef instructor Marc Mole has a wealth of experience as a bistro chef and a former student mentor for Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts.

A French cuisine specialist, Marc creates elegant dishes that champion the very best of French-bistro cooking.

Neha Gupta (Vegilite.com): Neha Gupta, founder of Vegilite, is a distinguished culinary expert with over a decade of experience.

As a vegan and nutrition specialist, she combines her expertise as a qualified Biotechnologist and Nutritional Therapist to revolutionise plant-based Indo-Western catering.

Olayemi Adelekan (MasterChef UK): A UK-based personal chef and MasterChef 2022 semi-finalist, Yemi's fusion cooking champions Nigerian and African flavours, elevating ingredients to craft delicious, healthy dishes.

As a passionate author, blogger, coach, and chef, Olayemi is an ongoing inspiration in the world of food.

Sunday, August 4

Nikita Gordon (Vegetarian Society): Nikita, a chef manager at the Vegetarian Society Cookery School, is an expert of vegetarian culinary arts.

With a particular interest in Asian cookery and world cuisine, Nikita blends world flavours to create refined vegetarian dishes.

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Gareth Mason (Mason Management): Multi-award-winning chef Gareth Mason boasts a diverse portfolio of experience, cooking for top celebrities, footballers, and even prime ministers.

As an enthusiast of all cuisines spanning the globe, Gareth showcases his culinary mastery through diverse recipes and vibrant dishes.

Dave Broxton (Ameven): Chef Broxton has been in the catering industry since 13, notably working alongside Michelin-starred chefs Michael Canes MBE and Paul Heathcote MBE.

As an executive chef, and the proud owner of Ameven by Chef Broxton, Dave puts a specialist flair into each dish he creates.

Eva Humphries (Whole Food Warrior): Nutrition specialist Eva brings her passion for nutritious and flavourful dishes to the forefront of her cooking, offering recipes with a healthy twist.

Utilising the latest nutritional science, Eva provides an innovative and unique take that promotes the best of healthy eating.

Sukhmani Pantal (Sukhi Curries and Spices): Sukhmani Pantal, owner of Sukhi Curries and Spices, offers a comprehensive resource for Indian recipes, demonstrations, and exclusive virtual curry classes.

Born and raised in India and now based in the UK, Sukhmani brings a wealth of authentic home-cooked Indian recipes and culinary tips.

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As well as the live cookery theatre, the festival will have a live entertainer’s stage featuring six daily family magic, circus, and comedy shows.

There will also be children’s cooking classes, a funfair and inflatables and a large array of street food with over 85 vendors.

In continued commitment to supporting mental health initiatives, the festival will partner with Manchester Mind in hope of adding to the over £100,000 already raised for their cause.

To buy tickets, click here.