5th May 2010

WEYMOUTH: Celebrity chefs star at seafood festival

CELEBRITY chef Mark Hix is to host the Dorset Seafood Festival for the third year running.

The event in Weymouth on July 10th-11th is one of Dorset’s most popular events and last year attracted 40,000 visitors.

Joining Mark on the main show stage will be wine expert and previous BBC Saturday Kitchen presenter, Joe Wadsack, and Mat Follas, winner of Masterchef 2009 and owner of the The Wild Garlic restaurant in Beaminster.

Mark and Mat will be demonstrating their culinary skills on the main stage and judging the Dorset Young Seafood Masterchef 2010 competition.

John Wright, funghi and wild food expert, from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s River Cottage will also return to the event to impart his knowledge on foraging.

Giles Thompson, former chef director of The Ritz, will also be demonstrating on the main stage while local chefs will also have a chance to demonstrate their culinary prowess on a second demo stage positioned on the Custom House Quay side of the harbour.

With 60 stalls this year creating a seafood village across the waterfront on both sides of Weymouth’s Old Harbour, foodies, gourmands, young and old will be able to enjoy a range of freshly cooked seafood dishes.

The Across the Harbour Guinness and Oyster Challenge will launch the festival where participants will swim across the harbour, eat an oyster and down a pint of Guinness all for charity. Passionate about Fish will be returning to educate visitors on local indigenous species, giving children the chance to get up close and personal to some fabulous specimens.

There will also be live music in Hope Square with The Exmouth Shantymen, the final cook-off for the 2010 Dorset Young Seafood Masterchef Competition, demonstrations from the Historical Diving Society and a performance of a children’s puppet show ‘Oshima and the Big Sea’ at the Hope Reform Church in Trinity Street.

The festival has also attracted a range of high profile businesses and brands including Pommery Champagne, which is this year’s title sponsor and with additional support from Wessex Water, The Co-operative Membership, Wine of Chile and Lloyds TSB.

Festival chairman Roger Dalton said: “The profile of supporters and sponsors demonstrates the importance and success of The Dorset Seafood Festival.”

PICTURE: Chef Mark Hix prepares to host the Dorset Seafood Festival