Chef Heathcote at Food Festival

CELEBRITY chef Paul Heathcote kicked off Bolton’s Food and Drink Festival this Bank Holiday Weekend when he cooked up one of his favourite dishes to a crowd of foodies.

Mr Heathcote, who owns The Olive Press in Bolton and a host of other restaurants across the North West, demonstrated his culinary skills in a packed marquee in Victoria Square.

He made hash browns of black pudding with Lancashire cheese, and a caramelised tart for dessert.

The chef welcomed questions from the audience while on stage offering top tips and kitchen advice.

Mr Heathcote said with local pride: “Anyone who knows me will know I’m from Bolton, born in Farnworth, and proud of my hometown, so it’s great to be involved in this year’s Food and Drink Festival.

“It seems to get bigger and better each year. I’ve had a quick look round already and there are some great stalls, and it’s good to see a lot of local Lancashire produce.”

Heathcote is the first of a number of top chefs appearing at the festival, and he will be followed by the Hairy Bikers and James Martin over the course of the weekend. He joked: “There’s always some rivalry when two chefs are cooking in the same place, so it’ll be interesting to see what comes of that.”

Following his gastronomic performance Mr. Heathcote took part in a booksigning and was happy to answer more questions from fans and budding cooks.