The popular Abergavenny Food Festival and Welsh cookery writer, Michela Chiappa will feature in a new BBC television series next month.
Coast to Coast Food Festival will air on weekdays at 6.30pm from Monday 13 March on BBC Two and Player and will explore dreamy destinations and fabulous food across the UK.
The programme is set to be a celebration of food, farming and the British countryside and will be presented by duo Colin Murray and Edith Bowman along with Countryfile’s Sean Fletcher.
The presenters will join forces with the likes of Chiappa, foodie Onkar Singh Purewal, and farmer Meinir Howells in Wales; baker Briony May Williams and food journalist Leyla Kazim in England; chef Suzie Lee in Northern Ireland; and farmer Jim Smith and chef Julie Lin and in Scotland to discover the secrets behind some of the countries favourite food and drink.
Tonight @BBCWales I will be joining with @SeanFletcherTV @theonkarshow @TheChiappas at 8.30pm in a new series called Food Fest.
— Meinir Howells (@MeinirHowells) February 13, 2023
Tonight I will be indulging in welsh lamb and ice cream. Not a bad combo!!! That’s what you call heaven!! 😘 @JoesIceCream @Telesgop @WeAreYetiMedia pic.twitter.com/cxzwSVWvJn
Coast to Coast Food Festival visits the four corners of the UK with Murray, Bowman and Fletcher revealing the secrets of farmers and producers as they explore food festivals and markets, championing home-grown produce and looking to put the UK local food festivals on the map.
In the series, Fletcher visits the Abergavenny Food Festival for a masterclass on the secret to barbequing success and is later joined by Bowman as they travel to Taste Cumbria in Cockermouth to meet passionate producers.
The journey continues with Murray and Bowman as they reunite to explore Glasgow Foodies’ Festival, where they discover the secret to the best egg fried rice, and Ballycastle’s famous Ould Lammas Fair to find out how Venezuelan street food made it to Northern Ireland.
With foodie events across the UK featured in the show, there is set to be something for everyone.
Fletcher said: “Filming Coast to Coast Food Festival has opened my eyes to the amazing produce we have in the UK, which doesn't have to cost you an arm and a leg.
"I've been to food festivals and markets right across Wales and England, from Cardiff to Cockermouth, and Leicester to Llangollen learning about local food wherever I go.
"One of the things that stood out for me is the incredible entrepreneurial spirit of all the food producers I've met along the way, and the pride they have in feeding the nation.”
Murray said: “The series was an absolute joy to film and we had a blast exploring the places and meeting the people behind the award-winning produce.
"I was in my element and blown away by the variety of the food on offer, from Korean kimchi and Jamaican patties at Mela Festival in Belfast to sailing into Loch Ryan to discover what makes oysters so special ahead of the Stranraer Oyster Festival.”
Bowman added: “I grew up in a hotel, so food and local produce has always been part of my DNA.
"I’ve had such a beautiful time exploring different parts of the UK and celebrating its food and people, not least in my homeland.
"We’ve uncovered stories behind some of UK’s most loved dishes and products and also celebrated the beautiful way food can connect people from all over the world.”
How to watch Coast to Coast Food Festival
Coast to Coast Food Festival begins on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer on Monday, March 13.
The series will air on weeknights at 6.30pm.
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