 An estimated seventy thousand people filled the streets of Christchurch for the start of the town’s Food & Wine Festival at the International Food Market. Though rain had hampered the traders setting up stalls on Saturday, the skies cleared for a dry day for visitors to the market before torrential rain swept in as the traders were packing up for the day. Sunday, however, was bright and sunny for most of the day and the crowds of hungry food-lovers were able to take their fill of the delicious offerings on sale at more than 100 stalls in the market in delightful weather. Stall holders reported excellent business, with some of them running out of goods to sell before the market finished. TV chefs Nick Nairn and Peter Gordon performed the opening ceremony alongside Mayor, Cllr Nick Geary, before demonstrating their culinary skills in the Harbour Hotels Collection demonstration theatre in Saxon Square. The Festival’s patron, Lesley Waters, took part in two ‘cookafun’ sessions on Sunday when she pitted her creative talents against Alex Aitken, executive chef of The Jetty restaurant and, later in the day, against Andrew Gault, head chef at The Captain’s Club. Lesley and Andrew had some well-known local kitchen helpers for their session as the Mayor and the vicar of the Priory church, Chris Mann, took to the stage to take their instructions from the chefs to get chopping, beating and whisking as they fought to win the prize for the best dishes gleaned from the same ingredients. In the end, both came up with such delicious offerings that it was impossible to judge one of them to be the winner and the contest was drawn. Following the ‘cookafun’ the Mayor thanked Mary Reader, President of the Festival, and the committee of organisers, saying: “This has been another marvellous event. Every year the Festival just gets better and better and next year you will have your work cut out to come up with a Festival that could possibly top this one. “I know how much hard work goes into putting the Festival together and you are to be congratulated for an event which is hugely beneficial for the Borough.” The Festival continues for the rest of the week with a ‘cookschool’ held at the Priory Suite at The Kings Hotel when Lesley Waters will return for a more intimate demonstration on Tuesday 10 May. There are sessions for chocoholics and patisserie lovers on Wednesday, a wine tasting session with Alex Aitken Junior on Thursday and a food, fun and fitness day with vegetarian cook Rose Elliot on Friday 13 May. Tickets for those events are available from Christchurch Information Centre and The Kings Hotel while details of all remaining events in restaurants, cafes, tea rooms and pubs throughout the borough can be found on the website at www.christchurchfoodfest.co.uk. Photo shows (from left) The Mayor of Christchurch, Cllr Nick Geary, Lesley Waters, Revd Chris Mann, vicar of Christchurch Priory church and Andrew Gault. |
