Cookery Theatre
Throughout the weekend top chefs stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the best of regional culinary talent on the stage of Flavour Fest's Cookery Theatre with a full programme of demonstrations over the three day festival.
Cookery Theatre Host
Chef Peter Gorton, will again be hosting the Cookery Theatre with his usual charm and top tips for cookery enthusiasts.
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Peter said: “I love Flavour Fest, not only does it promote local produce but it’s a great showcase for local talented chefs and a fund day out for all the family."
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Peter Gorton, an award-winning chef and a Fellow of The Masterchef of Great Britain, a Business Hospitality Chef Consultant and previously a Director of Food Drink Devon. He is one of Devon’s finest chefs and began his career in the 1980s at the age of 16 and trained at some of the best restaurants in the UK and around the world.
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He then became chef/proprietor of the famous Horn of Plenty Country House Hotel and Carved Angel Group gaining many accolades one of which was a Michelin Star.
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A well known face in the media Peter is a regular contributor to food magazines and newspapers providing recipe columns. Peter has also made a number of television series and has published three books.
Peter also enjoys a national reputation as a demonstration chef providing private and public cooking demonstrations around the UK and is a popular regular at the South West region many food and drink events including Plymouth Flavour Fest and Exeter’s Food and Drink Festival.
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Peter loves championing local produce and has a real passion for developing the next generation of chefs.
Friday 26 May
Victoria Whitmarsh and Kim Davis, University of Plymouth
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10am
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Victoria (Head Chef) and Kim (Chef de Partie) are part of the catering services for University of Plymouth (UCSP). The business consists of 11 cafes and coffee shops all with different concepts.
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They work together closely to produce the Hospitality part of the business, catering for events externally and internally, and catering operations in The EMDECK Building. Also all the artisan cakes and bakes for The Container Café.
David Mann, Quince
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11am
I am the chef/owner of Quince Restaurant on Bretonside. Finally choosing to go it alone and open my first restaurant after working in places such as Langdon Court Hotel, Boringdon Hall hotel, Burgh Island & The Treby arms to name a few. Trying to keep my food unfussy and simple with a big emphasis on locality and sustainability.
My dish will be Dartmoor Lamb Rump, asparagus, spring vegetables, wild garlic pesto.
Ready Steady Cook
12pm
Don’t miss the annual Ready Steady Cook competition at 12pm on Friday 26 May!
The competitors, Peter Gorton and another willing chef will be assisted by Street Factory's Toby & Jo with the event being compered by BBC Spotlight’s Natalie Cornah!
Tami Skelton, Food is Fun and Joanna Ruminska, Incredible Edible UK
1pm
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For the past 15 years Food is Fun has been working with people and communities to improve relationships with food. They teach basic cooking and budgeting skills and demonstrate the importance of eating a healthy balanced diet, while bringing people together through cooking and sharing food.
Incredible Edible UK has been teaching foraging skills and exciting facts about wild food for 7 years – showing how to include more foraged foods to everyday meals to add more flavour and nutrition.
Tami and Joanna will be demonstrating how to make several delicious dishes using low-cost and also entirely free ingredients, sharing their money-saving tips and advice on how to stretch the food budget while enjoying healthy and tasty meals for the whole family.
Jackie Colby, RAF
3pm
Air Specialist 1 (AS1) Colby has been an RAF Reservist for almost 7 years. Based at 505 Sqn RAF Squadron, Jackie decided to train as a chef as it would be completely different to her civilian job as a safeguarding lead and manager of the Devon Safeguarding Children Partnership. RAF Reservist chefs undertake chef training at the tri-service catering college in Winchester comparable to the full-time military chefs. Jackie specialism is field kitchen catering but she has also cooked for fine dining events as well as dining-in nights at various messes. Jackie also enjoys baking cakes, pastries and breads and as a side-hustle has, with a friend, set up an outside catering service and catered for various celebration events. With a passion for cooking family meals on a tight budget, and due to experience gained as an RAF logistics chef, Jackie was asked to run a Department of Education project for 3 years, across Devon, providing hot food during school holidays for over 17,000 children eligible for free school meals.
Saturday 27 May
John Paul, The Treasury
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10am
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John Paul, who is currently Head Chef of The Treasury is 30 years old, and has been a chef since the age of 15. He focuses his career on cooking fresh and local food from all different cultures. He has worked in Rosette restaurants to pubs and bars, and has a wide selection of experience. John Paul will be joined by one of The Treasury's mixologists at Flavour Fest to assist and to also create a cocktail to pair with the food.
Jake Hardington, Salumi Bar & Eatery
11am
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Heading up the kitchen is Jake. Jake has been on quite a journey with Salumi, starting out as a Chef de Partie over six years ago and has since quickly risen to take over the reins as Head Chef. Jake has an ethos of simple food, cooked well, which matches owner Dave’s vision for the restaurant, meaning the pair quickly formed an formidable culinary team. Jake will be joined by sous chef Ethan Chandler-Bundy.
Purdy Giles, Punjabi Cuisine
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12pm
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Purdy is a first generation British Asian female, born in the Punjab region of India and raised in the Midlands from 2 years old. As a 16 year old, she eloped to Plymouth, and as a result, she was ex-communicated by her birth parents and local community where she grew up in. Purdy's professional background is in Social Work, her passion for cooking and sharing the food of my Homeland has been a constant in my life. It was the only cultural frame of reference that she could express in the 41 years that she was estranged from her community.
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This all changed in 2017, when Purdy resigned from her career and with no Plan B and savings, she allowed herself to follow the song in her heart. She started facilitating workshops in Punjabi Cuisine, giving demos and talks about 'My Journey', and latterly hosting a regular Supper Club at her home in Peverell.
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Since celebrating and sharing the food of her Homeland, Purdy has re-unified with her parents, and travelled back to her birthplace and connected with her wider family. Purdy loves what she does, and feels that cooking and sharing food is a gift that keeps on giving in a myriad of ways.
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In Purdy's cooking session, she will be showing you how to make her famous aubergine, sweet potato & spinach bhajis with a Greek chilli mint yoghurt dip.
Richard Farleigh & students, City College Plymouth
1pm
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Richard has worked in some of the south west’s top restaurants including a 6 year spell with the Tanner brothers at the prestigious Prysten House. He has been the advanced cookery lecturer at City College Plymouth for the last 16 years. Richard's speciality is fish and shellfish cookery, a passion started as a student at City College back in the mid-1980s!
Richard Hunt, The View / Exeter Courtyard
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2pm
Richard is passionate about local produce, sustainability and utilising the best of Britain's seasonal ingredients. Richard has formerly headed a variety of high-quality culinary operations throughout the UK from London hotels to exclusive private clubs and he has now returned to his native Devon.
Richard has competed at all levels of competition from winning Young Chef of the Year South West to being a culinary judge for nearly 25 years, culminating in judging the National chef of the Year. Richard has appeared on various national TV programmes including Iron Chef UK as well as Edwardian and Victorian Farm on the BBC.
Sunday 28 May
Nick Hemming, The Edgcumbe Arms
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10am
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Nick began his culinary journey with De Vere Hotels back in 1988 where he started as an apprentice chef and has been cooking ever since. He has travelled and lived around the Mediterranean searching for his favourite style of cooking. This is where he learned how to cook and perfect Spanish cuisine including his published Cornish Paella recipe which you will find on the menu at The Heron Inn & Edgcumbe Arms during summer.
Nick and his wife Amanda were awarded the British Innkeeping Institute prestigious “Licensee of the Year Award” in June last year, beating another 300 talented licensees across the UK. This award is considered the hardest fought competition in the industry. Nick was also a finalist at The Craft Guild of Chefs Awards last year, narrowly missing out at the London based final.
The couple also own The Heron Farm & Coffee Shop in Malpas that is situated on the river. The shop was opened during COVID and is heavily focused on local produce from the area. The farm shop offers a relaxing place for the local community. The village now has a shop where the residents can meet and relax without venturing to the big supermarkets. They also acquired a new business in December, The Edgcumbe Arms in Cremyll, a beautiful 6-bedroom, riverside gastropub adjacent to the Royal William Yard in Plymouth and directly next to Mount Edgcumbe Park.
Daniel Gillard, St Elizabeth House
11am
Having grown up locally and worked in some of the south west’s most prestigious restaurants, head chef, Daniel Gillard collected a host of accolades, two rosettes at the plantation house, achieving one rosette at the rose and crown, during his time there his team were nominated and eventual winners of Devon pub of the year, this was a great time to really push his creative talents and with the ocean on our doorstep it was a good opportunity to work in a restaurant dedicated to seafood, whilst here another 2 rosettes were achieved.
At the moment you can find Daniel behind the stove at St Elizabeth’s House Hotel in Plympton, where the business has steadily grown over the last 12 years, incorporating bespoke weddings and full afternoon cream teas to the already successful restaurant. Daniel’s always been a keen champion of local seasonal produce and has enjoyed showcasing his talents and supporting flavour fest for over 15 years.
Andy Nunn & students, City College Plymouth
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12pm
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Andy has travelled the world providing fine dining food on super yachts for over 20 years. Andy owned his own cookery school in France and is now part of the lecturing team at City College Plymouth passing on his skills and wisdom to the chefs of the future!
George Cotterell, The Bottling Plant
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1pm
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Drawing on his experience in France, and here at The Bottling Plant, George will take the mystery out of filleting flat fish, how to cook and serve. He will also demonstrate how to prepare and cook a mussel dish. Threading through this demonstration George will run through some classic sauces such as beurre blanc, hollandaise and mayonnaise (the French way) and how to create the perfect anchovy paste. There will be loads of opportunity to ask questions throughout.