Celebrity chefs to star at Bury St Edmunds event

A star of some of television’s top cookery shows together with Rick Stein’s Executive Chef have been signed up to headline this summer’s Our Bury St Edmunds Food & Drink Festival over the August Bank Holiday weekend.

Stein will be making his first appearance on the Sunday of the event, which has been running for five years. He is the middle son of Rick Stein and started working as a kitchen porter as a youngster during the school holidays then moving to front of house at the age of 16. He worked as a chef in his father’s restaurants before gaining further experience overseas and is now Executive Chef of the Stein restaurants, pub and cookery school.

On Bank Holiday Monday Paul Rankin, best known as one of the longest standing and most successful chefs on ‘Ready Steady Cook’ will take to the stage in the Stoves Cookery Theatre. As well as his numerous TV appearances Paul is also a successful cookery author, with ‘New Irish Cookery’ and ‘Gourmet Ireland’ among his work. Paul’s fans will also know that he has also developed his own range of traditional Irish breads and an Irish sausage range.

The free two-day event is organised by the town centre Business Improvement District (BID) organisation Our Bury St Edmunds. Its Chief Executive Mark Cordell said: “The demonstrations in the cookery theatre are hugely popular and I have no doubt that Jack and Paul this year will be a big draw. As ever we’ll also be offering stage slots to the many talented chefs working in Our Bury St Edmunds member businesses too, who will be sharing their kitchen secrets.

“Jack and Paul will be putting on three shows each on the days they are here but I hope during the event they will also have the opportunity to see what a wonderful food and drink offering we have in Bury St Edmunds. I’m very much looking forward to seeing what’s on their menus.”

The Our Bury St Edmunds Food & Drink Festival will run from Sunday 27th to Monday 28th August and, as well as the shows in the cookery theatre, will feature a wide range of local produce stalls and attractions including a farmers’ market.

For more information visit www.burystedmundsfestivals.com.