Aylsham Food Festival
2nd to 4th October 2009


Aylsham Food Festival cooking theatre to feature top local chefs

The popular free Cooking Theatre which is an essential part of the Aylsham Food Festival will this year feature top local chefs Steve Norgate and Derrol Waller(pictured below) while Jo Burdett from Fakenham’s artisan bakery, The Cooking Angel, will be demonstrating her cake making talents.

The chefs will each demonstrate one of their favourite dishes – with samples of course for the audience – while Jo Burdett will be making her Fairtrade Brunch Muffins, again with free samples.

Steve Norgate is head chef at the renowned Beechwood Hotel in North Walsham and Derrol Waller has built his reputation as a freelance, working at a number of different locations. Jo Burdett started The Cooking Angel four years ago and has quickly built a top reputation for her traditional and gluten free range. In 2007 she received a Highly Commended award in the Waitrose-sponsored Small Producer of the Year competition.

The Aylsham Food Festival Cooking Theatre takes place in the Town Hall on Saturday 3rd October from 11am to 3pm. It will be run as a ‘drop in’ event so there is no need to book, just turn up and stay as long as you like – and best of all, it’s free!

Other events in the 2009 Festival include, on Saturday 3rd, Aylsham’s FARMA-accredited Farmers’ Market, plus Kids Cooking Workshops for 4 to 11-year-olds in the High School. On Sunday morning, the Town Hall will welcome guests to the Big Slow Breakfast when members of Slow Food Aylsham will cook and serve a traditional English breakfast using local ingredients. Tickets, available from Salad Days fruit and veg stall in Aylsham’s Market Square, are £4 or £14 for a family of 4 with two children under 12.

Supporting the Food Festival are two events in Aylsham’s library: the first, on Wednesday 30th September at 10.30am, will feature an illustrated talk, “The Millers Tale”, by Mike Thurlow on Letheringsett Mill – its restoration, flours and bread making. Tickets are just £1 and include refreshments – contact the Library on 01263 732 320 for more details.

“Apple Sunday” is the second event and will be on Sunday 4th October between 11.30am and 1.30pm. There will be the opportunity to meet Francis James from The Apple and Pear People of Hoveton and also to taste the true flavour of Norfolk apples. Entry is free and more details are again available from the Library.

More details of all the events making up Aylsham Food Festival 2009 are available at www.aylshamfoodfestival.co.uk