These are the chefs you’ll see cooking up a storm at Liverpool Food & Drink Festival 2018

High profile Merseyside chefs Ellis Barrie, Gary Usher and Anton Piotrowski are set to join Raymond Blanc OBE for a celebration of the city’s growing food and drink scene.

The chefs will come together to deliver a series of masterclasses at Liverpool Food and Drink Festival, which will take place in Sefton Park from 15-16 September.

Liverpool born chef, Ellis Barrie, who runs the Marram Grass restaurant in Anglesey with his brother Liam, recently won a place in the North West heat of The Great British Menu during his second appearance on the BBC series. He will make his debut at Liverpool Food and Drink Festival by showing visitors how to prepare a Crab and Celeriac Risotto in the Celebrity Chef Demo Theatre.

Images from Marram Grass Cafe with Ioan Said Photography

Straight-talking chef and restaurateur, Gary Usher of Wreckfish (pictured at the top of the article), will be cooking up Braised Octopus and Aubergine, followed by Dark Chocolate Tart Drizzled in Honeycomb and Chantilly Cream during his appearance on the stage at the Liverpool Food and Drink Festival.

Masterchef the Professionals winner and owner of Rowski, Anton Piotrowski, is set to impress the audience as he prepares Welsh Wagyu and Guinea Fowl during his stint in the festival spotlight.

The Celebrity Chef Demo Theatre will also see Raymond Blanc showing the audience how to prepare his Crab Salad with Pink Grapefruit as well as his fluffy Cherry Clafoutis. He will also be taking part in a live interview on stage, where the audience can find out more about the self-taught chef’s extraordinary journey from pot washer to two Michelin starred chef.

Anton Piotrowski

Ellis Barrie is pleased to be making his first appearance at Liverpool Food and Drink Festival.

He said: “Liverpool’s restaurant scene has changed enormously since I first started working as a chef and it’s great to see such quality and diversity in what the city has to offer.

“I’m really looking forward to joining such a brilliant line-up of talented chefs to celebrate the city’s food offering, which just keeps on getting better.”

Isabella Kantor, Liverpool Food and Drink Festival Manager, said: “Ellis Barrie, Gary Usher and Anton Piotrowski are all doing fantastic work for the region’s reputation as a foodie hotspot and we’re thrilled that they’ll be joining us in the Celebrity Chef Demo Theatre, alongside Raymond Blanc.

Raymond Blanc and JanPaul

“Anyone with a passion for good food will enjoy the sessions at the Celebrity Chef Demo Theatre, where there will be plenty of opportunities to pick up tips and advice from some of the best chefs in the industry. I’m confident that the masterclasses will leave budding chefs and home cooks feeling truly inspired.”

Liverpool Food and Drink Festival will showcase some of the city’s finest flavours, as more than 30 local restaurants come together to serve up some of their most popular dishes. There will also be plenty of tasty treats on offer at an artisan producers’ market and an international street food zone. The festival also features live music, family entertainment, as well as areas dedicated to celebrating craft beers, gins, wines and speciality coffees.

Tickets to Liverpool Food and Drink Festival start from £7 per day and £11.50 for the whole weekend with free entry for children under 14.

Visit www.liverpoolfoodanddrinkfestival.co.uk for tickets and further information.