On your marks, get set, bake – Bake Off star joins festival line up #Blog

Victoria Hayes
4th March 2022

Great British Bake Off Finalist Laura Adlington has been announced as the latest celebrity addition to the Chef Demo stage line up at this year’s Taste Cheshire Food and Drink festival.

The festival, now in it’s 21st year at Chester Racecourse has always attracted a range of celebrity and local chefs demonstrating their skills and is a hugely popular part of the Annual Easter event. 

Laura Adlington was a finalist on the Great British Bake Off in 2020. Since then she’s been on a self proclaimed mission to share not only her love of baking, but also her passion for body confidence at any size and plus size fashion.

Tori Hayes from Taste Cheshire says, “As a mum, baking was a huge part of lockdown life and the Great British Bake Off is a firm favourite in our house. Taste Cheshire are thrilled that Laura is joining us, not just because she’s a fantastic baker but also because her sunny outlook and positivity was so evident in the show. After the last couple of years, we could all do with that kind of positive energy.”.

Laura will be on the Chef demo stage on Sunday 17th April following the return of the famous Taste Cheshire Sausage Competition and alongside a host of top tier local chefs.

Joining Laura in the line up is Chef Stuart Collins, regional heat winner in last year’s Great British Menu, local food hero and Chef owner of Docket No. 33 in Whitchurch. 

Having trained under Gary Rhodes, Michael Caines and Gordon Ramsay, Stuart has a solid background in great cooking.  He has consulted on hospitality projects in Florida, Doha and Kuwait, and has cooked as a personal chef for many high net worth guests throughout his travels. Docket No.33 is a modern British restaurant offering cuisine with local and international influence. The restaurant utilises local produce to create the menus and Docket No.33 was recognised by the Michelin Guide and was awarded a Plate in the 2021 and 2022 GB&NI Guide.

Stuart has been on the Chester Food and Drink festival stage several times and is well known family favourite.

Also returning to this year’s festival are Lisa and Rupert from All About Greens, the UK’s first online Plant-Based Food Foundation Course for aspiring and professional chefs. Lisa and Rupert will once again be demonstrating delicious and easy to make plant based dishes which will impress and perhaps change a few minds about the practicalities of plant based cookery. 

Rupert Worden explains, “There’s no doubt that the interest in plant-based cooking has grown massively over the past few years and this increase in popularity has changed the way in which restaurants and chefs approach their menus. All About Greens are supporting both aspiring and fully established chefs, with courses aimed to help navigate the new environment and become competent, confident and inspired when cooking plant-based food.”

Chester Racecourse has been home to this festival for over 20 years and works in partnership with the festival organisers, Taste Cheshire, to provide family friendly fun, food and drink over the Easter weekend. 

It should come as no surprise therefore that the Sunday line up at the festival also features Danny Cronin, from the incredible kitchen team at Restaurant 1539. Dan is a newcomer to the stage and brings with him 10 years of experience alongside some great chefs and at some great restaurants including Boutique Hotels & the Abode Brasserie.

For tickets for the festival or more information about the chefs and other activities at the festival head to chesterfoodanddrink.co.uk