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Posted on 13 Apr 2016
Stop Press
Here's the lowdown on some of the chefs, TV food stars and experts involved in the Didcot Food Festival. Didcot's first ever foodfest will run over three days at Cornerstone from November 25-27. Tickets are on sale here.
Kimberley Wilson is a psychologist, food writer, occasional presenter and ‘foodpreneur’. After becoming a finalist in Bake Off she launched The Glamorous Jam Co. - a range of gourmet, handmade jams in adventurous flavours for the discerning foodie.
The organiser of this lovely foodie event. You'll recognise her from the 2013 Great British Bake Off, and may have even seen her around town as she is a Didcot resident! Since the show, she has become a public speaker, teaches at a renowned cookery school in Wiltshire, demonstrates at food festivals and creates recipes for various food and drink companies. She has self-published Christine Bakes: Warm and Cosy and is a columnist for Round and About magazine.
Since starring on Bake Off, the self-taught baker from Sheffield teaches at Hartington's artisan food school in Bakewell. He is also a regular guest panellist on Bake Off spin-off show An Extra Slice, as well as a writer for the Great British Chefs website. His first book 'Delicious Gluten-Free Baking' was published in September 2015.
Builder Richard won our hearts in 2014's Bake Off with his optimistic attitude and pencil behind his ear! He won the title Star Baker a record-breaking five times while on the show. The father of three, who lives in North London with wife Sarah and his daughters, launched his first recipe book B.I.Y. Bake It Yourself last year.
Food blogger and Oxford graduate Sarah rose to fame as a Masterchef semi-finalist in the 2015 series. The half-Italian, from Bicester, made it to the final six by impressing judges with her paella balls and bone marrow.
Starred on Masterchef in 2008 and then retrained as a professional chef, studing for a Cordon Bleu Diploma. She spent six months working as a research chef and even cooked for royalty at Kensington Palace. For the last six years, she's run Dancing Trousers Cookery School in her own home in the beautiful Cotswolds near Burford.
Featured on the Great British Bake Off in 2013 and now runs his own dessert parlour in Birmingham called Artisan. Ali has had his own TV show on BMTV all about easy baking, and he plans to open up an American-themed restaurant in the coming months.
After appearing on the 2013 Bake Off with Christine, Glenn quit his teaching job and started a new career as a comedian and performer. He has also combined his interest in food and education in Tasty Travels, a book for primary school children published by Oxford University Press, as part of the highly regarded Oxford Reading Tree series.
Deborah was also a contestant on the 2013 Great British Bake Off. She is a Deputy Medical Director in Northamptonshire so baking and cooking are part of her relaxation strategy. Her family friendly food always has a healthy element to it.
Oxford-based Italian Mariella runs an Italian cookery school, as well as a successful catering service, and she loves nothing more than passing on her authentic recipes to passionate foodies.
The chef and owner of 18th century coaching inn the Miller of Mansfield, Goring on Thames, north of Reading. He used to work as head chef at The Crown at Bray - one of Heston Blumenthal’s pubs.
Nick made the final three of last year's Masterchef The Professionals but in his normal life he's sous chef at fine dining spot Restaurant 56 at Sudbury House Hotel in Faringdon. He will be giving a cooking demo with his boss, executive head chef Andrew Scott. Voted gastronomic restaurant of the year by the 2015 Oxfordshire Restaurant Awards, Restaurant 56 received 3 AA Rosettes in 2015 for its outstanding food.
Chef Paul runs The Late Chef, a high end catering business. He also does regular radio work and writes for a number of local magazines, as well as teaching cookery courses at the WI Cookery School. He founded Wallingford Food Festival and is head chef at 1855 Wine Bar and Bistro in Oxford.
Pamela set up ChenMoore Chopsticks to teach people how easy it is to create wholesome, delicious oriental food from scratch. Teaching from her home kitchen, she also gives talks and demonstrations to large groups and businesses.
French chef Richard trained as a baker from the age of 14 and moved to the UK in the '80s. He made a name for himself in high end restaurants and in 2005 launched his catering company The Bertinet Kitchen in Bath. He has written four books- Dough, Crust, Pastry and Patisserie Maison, and makes regular appearances on TV show Saturday Kitchen.