A STELLAR line-up of chefs has been announ- ced for Cottingham's upcoming Food Festival.
Stars demonstrating their cookery skills will include John Robinson, of White's Restaurant in Beverley, and fish specialist Rob Porter, of the Green Room.
They are to be joined by Colin McGurran, of Winteringham Fields, a finalist in hit TV series The Great British Menu.
Mr Robinson said it is a great opportunity to show off what is best about East Yorkshire.
"The main focus for me is to make sure I'm using produce there on the day," he said.
"It's not a chance to showcase my restaurant, it's a chance to showcase products so people can go home and cook them.
"Food festivals are great – we're in Yorkshire, the biggest farming community going, and it's a region full of farmers selling everything from meat to wine.
"As a restaurateur, you would be crazy not to use it, but even as a member of the general public, it's obviously food you could be using at home."
The festival is being organised by Councillor Helen Green, who represents Cottingham South ward.
She hopes it will give village trade a boost at the end of the summer by bringing food-lovers out in their hundreds.
"I'm absolutely delighted these chefs will be coming," she said.
"Mr McGurran normally charges £300 for a demonstration but because it's a community event we're doing, he is going to come for free."
The TV chef will spend an hour demonstrating three different cookery techniques to the watching crowd.
Alongside the trio of cooks, dozens of stalls will fill the Market Green in the village centre to sell food from across the East Riding.
The day will be launched by East Riding Council chairman Claude Mole.
It will involve Cottingham traders, pubs and restaurants.
The cookery demonstrations will be hosted inside a marquee.
Cllr Green hopes to make it an annual fixture on a par with Cottingham Day, which was held on Saturday, July 6, and attracted more than 15,000 people.
The festival, which will take place on Sunday, September 22, falls about halfway between the summer celebration and the village's Christmas lights display.
Its December switch-on tends to be visited by more families than any other in the East Riding.
