It’s all over….for now!!! #News

Victoria Hayes
2nd September 2021

A huge thank you to everyone who came to the Taste Cheshire Food and Drink Festival this year. We loved it, we hope you did too and we can’t wait to return Easter Weekend 2022.

Organising the festival this year was definitely the most challenging experience of our working lives.
We cannot possibly fill you in on all the trial and tribulations, but we must take a moment to thank some people without whom the event would not have taken place.

Firstly, our thanks to Chester Racecourse and their fantastic staff. Not only did Chester Racecourse create a fantastically beautiful space for us to use, their staff went above and beyond to help us create and manage a complex event in a post Covid world.

Our Celebrity Chefs, Paul Rankin, Chris Bavin and John Torode are owed a special thanks not only for their wonderful and hugely entertaining Chef demos but also for their patience and loyalty for staying with us through 4 reschedules. All three of these wonderfully talented chefs have been incredibly generous with their time and support for the event and for the exhibitors and traders who came along.

In front of stage, we could not have managed without the phenomenon that is Izzy Grey.
As host of the Chef Demo Stage, she excelled as the connector between the audience and the chefs. She took the time to do her research and was a sparkling host under difficult circumstances. 

Behind the stage, the wonderful Chef Emma Shawcross was the lynch pin who brought everything together, as well as bringing all the ingredients and making the chefs look good! 
She is a real food hero and a special thanks to her friend Craig, who took wonderful photos, solved problems and cemented himself as a true friend of the festival.

Alongside our celebrities we were also blessed with a line up of truly sensational local chefs.

Thanks to Stuart Collins from Docket No.33, Curtis Tonge from The Forge, Rupert and Lisa from All about Greens,  Rick Warrier and his team from Bar Lounge, Nic Friar from Hypha, Nick Wadeson from Three Wrens Gin, Eva Humphries, the Whole food warrior and Chris Waling from Cakes by Noah.

The festival staff team, what can we say about this amazing team? They truly rose to the occasion, went above and beyond, did more steps and hours than you can ever imagine and did it all with smiles on their faces.

To our exhibitors, thank you. You provided the food and drink which inspired us, and showed your passion and dedication every step of the way.

Chef Brian Mellor and Chef James Holden, a huge chef hat tip to them, for their fantastic cooking classes. Their passion and enthusiasm is a lesson to all of us, and hopefully some of you kids and partners will now be cooking for you, showing off their new found skills!

And of course to you, the food and drink loving general public. We do this for you and your support has been overwhelming.

Between Chester Zoo and our festival, over 60,000 people came to visit our remarkably city this weekend.
How amazing is that?

We are taking a little break now to regroup, but keep your eyes peeled for our return,
The Taste Cheshire Chester Food and Drink Festival 2022 will be back at Easter Weekend AND will be bigger and better than ever for our 21st year.

Thank you.