Inn Noodle, a leading restaurant in London specializing in Shanghainese Cuisine, recently had its named etched in the Guinness Book of World Records for Most Bowls of Hand Pulled Noodles (La Mien) Prepared in Three Minutes. Inn Noodle’s Head Chef, Fei Wang, pulled an impressive eight bowls of noodles in the timeframe, going head-to-head with chef, television personality and restaurateur, Gordon Ramsay.

The challenge was set for Chef Ramsay’s televeision show, Cookalong Live, which aired on 28 November on Channel 4 at 9pm. It featured Inn Noodle’s Chef Fei Wang who gave lessons and tips to the multi-Michelin Starred celebrity chef before the big day. Chef Fei Wang went up against Chef Ramsay to set the new world record in Borough Market.

La Mien or Hand Pulled Noodles originates from Northwest China and Lanzhou in Gansu Province and is a popular dish in various parts of China including Shanghai. The almost magical process starts with a simple lump of dough, which is stretched, folded and twisted and repeated until the noodles are of appropriate thickness. Each time the process is repeated, the number of noodles doubles, eventually ending up in a bowl of the freshest noodles.

Inn Noodle’s Head Chef, Fei Wang, who comes from one of the oldest cities in China, Xi’an said, “It’s a great honour to go up against a chef I respect and admire deeply and to break the world record in the process. It’s hard to ask for more.”

The 33 year-old chef arrived in London in 2007 to introduce his culinary talents to the menu at Inn Noodle, which has outlets in Queensway and Oxford Street. Both restaurants specialize in the gastronomic delights of Shanghai and are famous for authentic dishes such as, La Mien and Xiao Long Bao; a type of steamed bun that is filled with pork and soup.

Singapore — As part of the launch of the inaugural edition of The Miele Guide, the much anticipated first-ever ranked list of Asia’s Top 20 Restaurants was announced at The Miele Guide Dinner on October 31, 2008. The exclusive red carpet event, held at the Grand Hyatt Singapore, was attended by approximately 350 guests, comprising of a veritable who’s who of Asia’s F&B scene. At this extraordinary gathering of Asia's most celebrated chefs and restaurateurs plus regional and international food critics and journalists, the Top 20 Restaurants and the personalities behind them received The Miele Guide awards and most importantly, the recognition that they so richly deserve.

This year, Hong Kong has emerged as the best city in Asia to dine in. Eight restaurants in The Miele Guide’s Top 20 are in Hong Kong. It is also worth noting that one chef-restaurateur has three restaurants in The Miele Guide’s Top 20. Joel Robuchon, once heralded as the world’s greatest chef, is undoubtedly helping to transform Asia’s culinary scene through his restaurants in Hong Kong, Macau and Tokyo.

Taking the top honours this year is Iggy’s, a four-year-old restaurant in Singapore that has consistently received rave reviews both locally and internationally since it opened. Iggy’s has also been consistently ranked among the world’s best restaurants by other media and surveys. Of note is Filippino chef-restaurateur Antonio Escalante. His restaurant, Antonio’s Fine Dining, is Asia’s 10th best restaurant this year and the only restaurant in the Philippines to break the Top 20.

To determine the Top 20, The Miele Guide conducted four rigorous rounds of selection and judging. The selection process started with the creation of an initial shortlist of “Asia’s best restaurants” by a panel of 84 of the most respected restaurant critics and food writers from over 16 countries in Asia. Then, over 10 weeks, over 15,000 registered voters, from over 40 countries, cast over 75,000 votes for the restaurants they believe are Asia’s best via an online survey, hosted at MieleGuide.com. Each voter was allowed 10 votes, only 3 of which could be cast for restaurants in their own country (if they live in one of the 16 countries being evaluated in the 2008/2009 edition). In addition, a group of 1,500 foodies, F&B professionals and journalists were invited to form a special jury and cast votes for their picks, separately from the public. The results of these two votes were combined with slightly more weight given to the public vote.

Over 2,000 restaurants received votes in these two rounds. From this, The Miele Guide selected the top 320 ranked restaurants for inclusion in the 2008/2009 edition. To further evaluate and confirm the rankings of Asia’s Top 20, incognito tasting at the top 25 ranked restaurants were conducted by The Miele Guide team, with help from contributors in selected countries.

This year, restaurants in 16 Asian countries were evaluated—Brunei, Cambodia, China (including Hong Kong and Macau), India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.

“We expect that this list will be controversial,” says Aun Koh, Director of Ate Media. “Like any list, we expect people to dispute the rankings and to criticize us. But the more people talk about our Top 20 list, the better. The overarching goal of The Miele Guide is to help the restaurant industry in Asia grow. The more people talk about and debate which restaurants and chefs they think are Asia’s best, the closer we are to achieving our objectives of helping our most talented chefs and restaurateurs gain more recognition, both within Asia and internationally. Obviously, we want The Miele Guide to become established as the most credible, independent and respected system through which restaurants are evaluated across Asia. But a large percentage of our results are based on polling, both through a jury and the public. If people are unhappy with the results this year, we urge them to vote in the following years.”

“We are proud to be part of this landmark move to recognise the Asian dining scene,” Mario Miranda, Managing Director of Miele Pte Ltd says. “Miele’s sponsorship of The Miele Guide reflects our dedication to helping to encourage and support the food and wine industry in this region. We are equally committed to promoting the enjoyment and understanding of good food among the people of this diverse region. We realise that the same customers who look for the very best in their kitchens also expect the very best when they dine out. Thus, it is natural for Miele to encourage a publication that seeks to recognise Asian chefs, restaurateurs and restaurants that are just as committed as we are to making their customers’ lives forever better.”

The Miele Guide is published by Ate Media Pte Ltd and sponsored by Miele, a German manufacturer of premium and innovative cooking appliances for the home. While a naming sponsor of the Guide, Miele did not exert any influence over the selection and judging process that determined which restaurants appear in The Miele Guide.

Further underlining its independence, neither the Guide nor its contributors accepted any advertising, sponsorship or free meals from any of the restaurants reviewed.

The slim, elegant and affordable Guide, which retails at US$15, will be for every traveller, foodie and business person looking to dine in Asia. The 2008/2009 edition is now available at major bookstores throughout Asia and Australia. It is also available via The Miele Guide’s website (mieleguide.com) and Amazon.com.

Asia’s Top 20 Restaurants 2008/2009

1. Iggy’s, Singapore
2. L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon, Hong Kong, China
3. Les Amis, Singapore
4. Gunther’s, Singapore
5. Mozaic, Bali, Indonesia
6. Robuchon a Galera, Macau, China
7. Garibaldi, Singapore
8. Yung Kee, Hong Kong, China
9. Hutong, Hong Kong, China
10. Antonio’s, Tagaytay, The Philippines
11. Caprice, Hong Kong, China
12. Zuma, Hong Kong, China
13. L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon, Tokyo, Japan
14. Bukhara, New Delhi, India
15. Grissini, Hong Kong, China
16. Nobu, Hong Kong, China
17. M on the Bund, Shanghai, China
18. Fook Lam Moon, Hong Kong, China
19. Zanotti, Bangkok, Thailand
20. Kyubey, Tokyo, Japan

:plate::chef:

New to this year’s BBC Good Food Show Birmingham are the Slow Food Pavilion and Slow Food Taste Workshops which will bring some of the country’s very finest produce to the show. A partnership between the BBC Good Food Show and Slow Food UK will see a selection of small but very high quality producers appearing at the show for the first time, giving them a fantastic opportunity to showcase their superb tasting products to a large and varied food-loving audience. All producers meet Slow Food UK’s strict good, clean and fair criteria which means you know the product will taste great!

In addition to seeing these producers on their stands in the Slow Food Pavilion, visitors will also be able to learn about and taste their products in a more informative but relaxed environment at special pre-bookable Slow Food Taste Workshops. Taking place each day throughout the show, the Slow Food Taste Workshops are part of Slow Food UK’s Taste Education Programme which aims to help people understand why food produced locally, without additives and preservatives and with respect to nature and the environment tastes so much better than much of the mass produced food we often find in our supermarkets.

Slow Food Taste Workshops – choose from:

Slow Bread & Butter – highlighting how one of our most important staples can be transformed by allowing it just a little bit of time! Taste examples of bread made with traditional long fermentation methods accompanied by real butter made the old fashioned way and traditional cold cuts.

Real Veal – This workshop will introduce you to different cuts of welfare-friendly British Veal from Bocaddon Farm Veal in South East Cornwall and explore the broader ethics of our food choices and the vital role that veal calves play in our dairy system.

Cool Sensations – Ice cream and gelato are not just for the warm days of summer. Squisito’s of Warwickshire have developed a range of flavours specifically for the winter months - some with a festive twist. A chance to learn about the subtleties of good ice cream making – and a great excuse to eat it every day!

Nose to tail eating – Our food choices directly affect the livelihoods of farmers and producers. Learn how Ben & Charlotte Hollins of Fordhall Farm saved their organic family farm through innovative partnerships with their community and customers. We’ll focus on how the customer, the producer and the chef can get the most from the whole animal using different cuts and some of the tastiest parts that most people leave behind!

Smoke-filled rooms – The Organic Smokehouse is pioneering in both product development and environmental sustainability. While we taste from the Organic Smokehouse’s range of organic products, explore the intricacies of smoking and the distinctive place which this process has within our food culture.

Slow Food chef Mark Lloyd will be working throughout the show to prepare exciting tasting dishes for a number of the workshops and giving a chef’s perspective on sourcing and using local, artisan products in the kitchen

There will be a real taste of Wales at the BBC Good Food Show in Birmingham’s NEC later this month (26-30 November).

Welsh based businesses exhibiting everything from organic meat to award winning beer will be showcased under the Welsh Assembly Government’s stand under the True Taste banner.

Amongst the exhibitors will be Trioni, whose nutritious organic flavoured milk – already popular with Chelsea and Spurs footballers not to mention Wales’ Six Nations rugby champions – is growing in popularity, and now Craig Bellamy’s West Ham United have been signed up to use the new one litre semi skimmed homogenised long life product appropriately called Daioni, which means goodness in Welsh.

The range is available in chocolate, strawberry, banana and cranberry and raspberry and the company, based at Abercych, near Boncath in Pembrokeshire, will be hoping to introduce the popular brand to Midlands soccer clubs as a result of its appearance there at the BBC Good Food Show.

Jonathan and Sally Rees, a young couple from Mochdre in Mid Wales will be flying the organic meat flag after spotting a gap in the market for affordable quality Welsh beef and lamb and subsequently launching their Welsh Farm Organics business.

Now the pair pride themselves on the flavour of their meat and the proof, as they say, is in the eating – because they have won fans from around the world through their online business.

Says Jonathan, “We get orders from as far afield as Australia, Japan and China. It is truly amazing.”

A touch of the exotic will be provided by Savina, a Mediterranean gift hamper company based in Newport. Products include Maltese traditional delicacies and their hampers are sold to major retailers and wholesalers, and, from early December, direct to the public, through their new shop in the town.

Snowdonia Cheese Company will be showcasing its popular range of waxed cheeses, headed by its flagship extra mature cheddar Little Black Bomber. The range of flavoured cheeses includes the multi award winning Green Thunder – a mature cheddar with garlic and garden herbs.

Spadel UK will be featuring its flagship Brecon Carreg brand of natural mineral water which it abstracts and bottles at its site in Trapp, Carmarthenshire. The water comes from deep within the beautiful Brecon Beacons National Park where rain falls on the Black Mountain and is naturally filtered and purified as it passes through the rocks to create Brecon Carreg’s clean, crisp taste.

Kingstone Brewery, from Tintern, Monmouthshire, has extra reason to celebrate after winning a prestigious two star gold Great Taste award for its Classic Bitter.

Brewer and manager Edward Biggs says, “Our passion is real beer. Uncompromised by the inflexibility of modern manufacture we have chosen to champion a hand brewed and bottled beer using only mineral water and the finest ingredients.”

Nick Davies, commercial director of the Welshpool based Welsh Meat Online, says they will be launching a new website at the show to help promote their Celtic Pride premium Welsh beef and Irfon Valley Welsh lamb. Customers at the show will receive a printed cloth bag emblazoned with the company logo and address.

It all adds up to this year’s BBC Good Food Show in Birmingham set to be the biggest and most exciting event in the UK – and for Welsh producers it represents an opportunity to show they can compete with the best.

:plate: :chef:

UK, French and Spanish chefs battled it out at a grueling live cook-off in the Loire Valley, France for the International Mâche Match 2008 on Thursday 6 November.

Nick Chapman, House of Commons sous chef came second in the competition, scoring highest overall in the surprise basket round and impressing the international panel of judges.

The French finalist, Nicolas Guiet, sous chef from renowned gastronomic restaurant ‘La Mare aux Oiseaux’ in the Loire came out on top winning a prize of €1,500 after four categories designed to test finalists’ skills to the max. Alberto de la Fuente Helleman, chef at ‘La Botilleria del Café de Oriente’ in Madrid made up the Spanish contingent of the three talented finalists.

The competition, judged by a panel of European food service leaders was held by the Loire Valley Lamb’s Lettuce Association (CEAFL) in close association with the UK Craft Guild of Chefs to highlight the practicality and versatility of mâche among chefs.

The British finalist’s menu included:
• Rapid Cuisine round: Seared scallops and foie gras with mâche foam
• Healthy Eating round: Seared and cured Halibut with mâche jelly, celeriac purée, Girolle mushrooms and red wine crème fraîche
• Gourmet round: saddle and rack of rabbit stuffed with mâche mousse on a bed of offal salad
• Mystery basket round: Pan fried Guinea Fowl breast with mâche and fennel puree, Borlotti beans and Chanterelle mushroom cream.

The judging panel for the competition held at the prestigious Nicolas Appert culinary school in Nantes included:
• Martin Bates, CEO, Craft Guild of Chefs
• Michelin starred Mey Hofmann, Hofmann culinary school and restaurant, Barcelona
• Didier Peschard, President, Loire Valley Eurotoques
• Bernard Géry, President, Valnantais Cooperative and Regional Legumes Association

Olivier de Grandmaison, President of the Loire Valley Lamb’s Lettuce Commission said: “Loire Valley mâche is a product of our unique ‘terroir’. 85 per cent of mâche cultivated in France is from the Nantes region and most of this is exported throughout Europe. This international competition, now in its second year, is important to highlight the many benefits of mâche and to allow up and coming UK, Spanish and French chefs to share their inspiration for this high quality ingredient.”

Head judge Martin Bates, CEO, Craft Guild of Chefs said: “This year saw the introduction of a new mystery basket round to really put the finalists to the test. Despite the high pressure situation the level of creativity was excellent.”

The three international finalists were also taken on a tour of Mâche seeding, production and packing facilities to learn more about the origins of the nutritious leaf.

Chef Grant Hawthorne recently spent 5 days representing the UK as one of their Terra Madre chefs, at the biennial international Slow Food’s Terra Madre/ Salon de Gusto in Turin, Italy.

During his brief absence, the restaurant received their third award of the year: ‘Fine Dining restaurant of the Year 2008’ for Milton Keynes. His pastry chef went along to collect the award on his behalf, along with the owner, Jonathan Todd.

A visibly chuffed Grant says: ‘We picked up the Foodie Square guide’s Buckinghamshire restaurant of the year; 2 AA rosettes and now the Milton Keynes fine dining restaurant of the Year 2008’
He continued: ‘It has been an exciting year: We’ve managed to pick up the trio of awards as a tribute to the growing reputation of our restaurant, and our magnificent local suppliers’.

He comments further: ‘At the end of the day, we’re a local’s restaurant, serving local food and supporting the local economy. We’re proud of our awards and hope it raises the profile of quality dining in greater Milton Keynes’.

Head Chef, Grant Hawthorne, has introduced his Christmas party menus with a variety of seasonal heritage potatoes and apples to add to the all British cheeseboard which has garnered national attention.

He comments:
‘The Plough’s complimentary luxury transport; 300 bin wine list and some of the UK’s Best Dishes are to be found a mere 7 miles from Central Milton Keynes; and a mere 45 minutes from London’

The Plough Wavendon is open daily from noon, and its menu includes an affordable business set lunch along with a pre-theatre dinner served between 5.30pm and 7.00pm.

The Wee Restaurant in North Queensferry is delighted to announce that it will be expanding later this year with the opening of ‘The Study’.

‘The Study’ at The Wee Restaurant will extend the restaurant’s covers from 24 to 34. This comes at an exciting time for the restaurant having recently been awarded a Bib Gourmand in the recent Michelin Guide Great Britain & Ireland 2008, winning Restaurant Newcomer at the CIS Excellence Awards 2008 and being dubbed as the ‘Best Eating Place in Scotland’ by the Independent Magazine’s restaurant critics. The Wee Restaurant has also launched The Wee Restaurant “Outside” following an increasing demand for chef Craig Wood’s catering services out with the restaurant.

Craig Wood, owner and head chef of The Wee Restaurant, commented, “Due to the popularity of the restaurant we are opening ‘The Study’ in November this year increasing numbers by 8 to 10 people. We hope to have the work completed by the 8th November. The Study will cater more for private events in house and small parties for meetings and celebrations whilst will also offer additional tables for everyday lunches and dinner.”

The Wee Restaurant as the name suggests is currently a small restaurant which will extend its covers from 24 to 34 on the 8th November 2008. To meet popular demand the restaurant has also extended its opening hours this year to incorporate Sunday lunches from 12:00 to 3:00pm. Established in March 2006, The Wee Restaurant is family owned, run by Craig and Vikki Wood.

Their ethos is to serve simple good seasonal food with fine wines, in a truly relaxed atmosphere. The restaurant setting is idyllic and definitely worth the short train journey from Edinburgh or a trip from further afield. Customers can enjoy a delicious meal, cooked by Craig, followed by a wander round the charming harbour village of North Queensferry soaking up the breath taking views of the Forth Road and Rail Bridges.

Craig Wood made his reputation as the head chef of The Hallion Club (Edinburgh) and formerly worked at Michelin starred Restaurant Martin Wishart (Edinburgh) and Charlie Trotters in Chicago. His wife, Vikki, works part-time front of house alongside Richard Conway, Restaurant Manager.

Damian Clarkson offers his expert advice on how to avoid a disastrous dinner party. Dinner party etiquette can be a minefield of trip-ups, and with the Christmas party season fast approaching many will be planning intimate dinner parties, albeit with dread creeping in case they don’t pull it off.

Damian Clarkson Manager Director of A-list cater Red Snapper Events divulges his top 10 dinner party faux-pas.

1. Time management – be as prepared as possible; do as many of the kitchen preparations before hand, leaving you free to socialise.
2. Dietary requirements – you must try to cater for any dietary requirements, ask guests before hand, they will appreciate your thoughtfulness.
3. Airing your laundry in public – Make sure the house is tidy with all washing etc put away. No one wants to look at your underwear drying whilst they eat dinner.
4. Unexpected guests – finalise your guest list. Ensure you know exactly how many people are coming; having an empty seat is just as bad as squeezing in one extra.
5. Hitting the bottle – being drunk is never glamorous but a drunken host is sinful, especially when it leads to serving burnt food. Don’t be tempted by a tipple before people arrive.
6. Mystery diners – ensure that you introduce people. Everyone around the table should know who they are dining with.
7. Nipping to the shop – make sure you have food and wine to last the evening, nothing is worse than leaving your own party and no guest should go home hungry or be searching for a drink.
8. Chained to the kitchen – although it’s important to make sure the food is delectable it is just as important to spend time with your guests. So don’t spend the majority of your time back of house.
9. Let me entertain you – dinner party entertainers such as magicians are very old hat and just plain tacky. Spend the money on some extra bubbles to ignite conversation.
10. Shutting the door – Don’t rush your guests out the door at the end of the night. Even if you are exhausted, be a welcoming host to the very last guest leaves.

Red Snapper Events recently celebrated its fifth year at the forefront of the event and party scene. Seasoned event goers turn to Red Snapper Events for its unparalleled approach and uncompromising attention to detail. The Red Snapper Events brand has become synonymous with providing premium restaurant quality food. Bespoke menus are specifically tailored to every event, along with unique glassware, table designs and distinctive finishing touches, which enhance the ambience of any event.

This year they have catered many A-list events and worked alongside clients including Aston Martin, OK! Magazine and the S.Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurant Awards, as well as being the official caterers for Ian Fleming’s Bond Bound Exhibition and many private dinners.

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(Washington, D.C.) Restaurant industry performance remained soft in August, as the National Restaurant Association’s comprehensive index of restaurant activity stood below 100 for the tenth consecutive month. The Association’s Restaurant Performance Index (RPI) – a monthly composite index that tracks the health of and outlook for the U.S. restaurant industry – stood at 98.3 in August, up 0.1 percent from its July level.

“The recent lack of change in the Restaurant Performance Index reflects the wait-and-see sentiment in the financial markets and overall economy,” said Hudson Riehle, senior vice president of research and information services for the Association. “Restaurant operators reported negative same-store sales for the eighth time in the last 10 months, and their outlook for sales growth in the months ahead remains uncertain.”

“The uncertain economy and rising food costs continue to pose a challenging business environment for restaurant operators,” Riehle added. “A record 31 percent of restaurant operators said the economy is the number-one challenge facing their business, while 22 percent identified food costs as their top challenge.”

The RPI is based on the responses to the National Restaurant Association’s Restaurant Industry Tracking Survey, which is fielded monthly among restaurant operators nationwide on a variety of indicators including sales, traffic, labor and capital expenditures. The RPI consists of two components – the Current Situation Index and the Expectations Index.

The RPI is constructed so that the health of the restaurant industry is measured in relation to a steady-state level of 100. Index values above 100 indicate that key industry indicators are in a period of expansion, while index values under 100 represent a period of contraction for key industry indicators.

The Current Situation Index, which measures current trends in four industry indicators (same-store sales, traffic, labor and capital expenditures), stood at 97.8 in August – up 0.2 percent from July and its first gain in three months. Despite the modest improvement, August marked the 12th consecutive month below 100, which signifies contraction in the current situation component.

Restaurant operators continued to report a same-store sales decline in August, though results were an improvement over the previous two months. Thirty-eight percent of restaurant operators reported a same-store sales gain between August 2007 and August 2008, up from 36 percent who reported a sales gain in July. Forty-eight percent of operators reported a same-store sales decline in August, down from 50 percent who reported similarly in July.

In addition to soft sales results, restaurant operators continued to report negative customer traffic levels in August. Twenty-five percent of restaurant operators reported an increase in customer traffic between August 2007 and August 2008, matching the proportion who reported similarly in July. Fifty-five percent of operators reported a traffic decline in August, down slightly from 57 percent who reported negative traffic in July.

Capital spending activity in the restaurant industry remains sluggish by recent historical standards. Forty-one percent of operators said they made a capital expenditure for equipment, expansion or remodeling during the last three months, down from 42 percent who reported similarly last month.

The Expectations Index, which measures restaurant operators’ six-month outlook for four industry indicators (same-store sales, employees, capital expenditures and business conditions), stood at 98.8 in August – down 0.1 percent from July’s level. In addition, August represented the tenth consecutive month in which the Expectations Index stood below 100.

Restaurant operators remain uncertain about sales growth in coming months. Thirty percent of restaurant operators expect to have higher sales in six months (compared to the same period in the previous year), a level which has remained relatively unchanged for the last 10 months. Thirty-three percent of restaurant operators expect their sales volume in six months to be lower than it was during the same period in the previous year, down slightly from 34 percent who reported similarly last month.

Restaurant operators also remain relatively pessimistic about the direction of the economy. Twenty-four percent of operators expect economic conditions to improve in six months, up from 21 percent who reported similarly last month and the highest level in 11 months. However, 33 percent of operators said they expect economic conditions to worsen in six months, up from 29 percent who reported similarly last month.

Restaurant operators’ outlook for capital spending activity remains soft. Forty-three percent of restaurant operators plan to make a capital expenditure for equipment, expansion or remodeling in the next six months, unchanged from last month and equal to the lowest level on record.

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Darlington, in the Tees Valley, was all geared up for its first Darlington Food Festival on Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th October, with a real celebrity line up for the Food Theatre, alongside all the top quality local and regional food and drink producers.

BUT…they didn’t anticipate that their special celebrity guest, TV Star Ed Baines, would be involved in an altercation with a bus!! This has somewhat incapacitated Ed, which means that unfortunately he won’t be able to join us at this years Food Festival.

However….Where one (bus) door closes another opens, and DFF are delighted that Lesley Waters will be joining us for the two day Food Festival, heading the brilliant line up of chefs in the Food Theatre. She has also promised to take great care, and to follow the Green Cross Code…

Lesley is a member of the Ready Steady Cook team and a regular contributor to ITV's This Morning. Lesley also runs a cookery school in Dorset and specialises in healthy cooking and food for children.

Lesley’s lively presentations have inspired audiences of Ready Steady Cook (BBC2) and now she appears regularly on ITV1’s This Morning. A former chef and cookery demonstrator, Lesley's sparkling personality makes her a popular television cook and a frequent guest on Good Food Live (UK Food Channel).

There will also be Cookery demonstrations by chefs from Darlington College, local restaurants and hotels and of course Lesley.

This will all be topped off by BBC Tees Alex Hall, who will jolly along the chefs and crowd to what will be a packed programme of Kitchen prowess.

Demonstrations will take place from 11am on both days, and occur every hour on the hour in the Food Marquee, on Market Square, Darlington. The demonstrations are free and places are available on a first come first served basis.