Hairy Bikers Si King and Dave Myers will be headlining this summer’s Bolton Food and Drink Festival.

 

The fun-loving duo will be joined by the nation’s most famous greengrocer Gregg Wallace, festival favourite James Martin – notching up his 11th appearance – and Michelin-starred Michael Caines.

 

 

The 14th annual event, organised by Bolton Council in association with Aldi, will be held over the August Bank Holiday weekend (August 23 to 26) in Bolton town centre.

 

Si and Dave starred at the festival from 2009 to 2011 but due to filming commitments have not been able to return until now. The pair will be taking to the stage on the second day of the festival (August 24).

 

 

They said: “We are beyond excited about coming back to Bolton. We had such a great time last time we visited, and we’ve heard brilliant things about how the festival has grown since then. It’s a privilege to be coming back and it’s going to be lots of fun!”

 

Last year, the festival attracted more than 274,000 people and the event won ‘Best Market Attraction’ at the British Market of the Year awards earlier this year.

 

Festival goers can look forward to even more stalls selling food, drinks and crafts, live music, a gin festival, masterclasses from regional celebrity chefs, street performers, and a fantastic family zone.

 

The second day of the annual Bolton Food and Drink Festival attracted yet another bumper crowd to the town centre which was blessed with glorious sunshine. A youngster plays around while watching the music. Picture by Paul Heyes, Saturday August 25, 2018.

 

Gregg fronts the popular Inside the Factory TV show, will showcase recipes on Sunday (August 25). He said: “I’m really looking forward to my first visit to the festival – I’ve heard lots of good things about it. I’ll be doing some cooking and am excited to meet some of the fantastic local producers and suppliers.”

 

 

James Martin will appear on Bank Holiday Monday (August 26), the final day of the festival. He said: “I love this festival. To see it grow from its early days to the mammoth event it is now is amazing. It’s an honour to be back.”

 

 

Chef Michael Caines will launch the festival on Friday (August 23) before hosting a gala dinner the same night.

 

He said: “Bolton is always a highlight. It’s a great community event bringing people together and I can’t wait to come back.”

 

Bolton Council’s Chief Executive, Tony Oakman, said: “What a line-up of amazing chefs for our brilliant event.

 

“The festival is one of the best in the country and the highlight of our events calendar.

 

“It has put Bolton on the culinary map and attracts hundreds of thousands to our wonderful town.

 

“There will be more announcements to come – please make sure you’re following the festival on social media to keep up to date with the latest.”

 

Ruth Doyle, Regional Managing Director at Aldi, added: “This will be our fifth year supporting the Bolton Food and Drink Festival and we’re really proud to be a partner again this year.

 

“Our local team will be there and are looking forward to sharing our award-winning products with the local community and visitors of Bolton. The headline chefs are part of a great line up and it’s sure to be a fantastic event.”

 

Tickets for the celebrity chef demos and the special events are set to go on sale at the end of May.

 

For updates, visit www.boltonfoodanddrinkfestival.com, follow Bolton Food and Drink Festival page on Facebook or @boltonfoodfest on Twitter or Instagram. 

 

Festival headline sponsor: Aldi Festival sponsor: Willmott Dixon Festival partners: Arts Council; Bolton Market; Bolton Library and Museum Services; Carrs Pasties; Greater Manchester Combined Authority; Octagon Theatre, and RRG Group Ltd.