A former marine pilot, Eddie overcame fierce competition to be crowned MasterChef Champion in May with his cooking described as “daring, adventurous, and a culinary powerhouse” by judge John Torode, while fellow judge Gregg Wallace said he was “born to cook”.
Eddie will appear on Saturday 17th September, replacing Ella Mills who will no longer be appearing due to unforeseen circumstances.
Festival organiser Bev Channell said: “We’re disappointed that Ella is unable to join us, but we can’t wait to see her new book and hope to see her soon. Huge thanks to Eddie for jumping in and we are excited to hear what he plans to create for our foodie fans.”
Eddie left his job of eight years after winning the BBC series and is now focusing on his love of food and hopes to write a cookbook as well as gaining more experience in professional kitchens.
He explains: “I love to cook the Punjabi dishes I grew up eating with my family. But my real passion is the great Mughlai cuisine: the historic royal dishes of Old Delhi, Lucknow and Hyderabad. With a love for classic French and Indian cookery, I like to experiment with the two cuisines, creating my own fusion of the two fascinating foodie cultures.”
Eddie will be joined on Saturday by Great British Bake Off finalist Chigs Palmar and the legendary chef Rosemary Shrager. On Sunday, Great British Bake Off winner and BBC Strictly finalist John Whaite appears with BBC MasterChef’s Pookie and MasterChef: The Professional’s Chef Philli. All will be introduced by stage host Joe Hurd.
With under one month to go, this celebration of local producers and global flavours attracts around 150 of the UK’s best traders and street food vendors. There’s also a delicious selection of Vegan food for all to enjoy with plenty of new companies making their debut.
With lots of entertainment for all the family including children’s cookery workshops, live music, giftware, cocktail bars and breweries, it’s no surprise that the Festival of Food and Drink is the biggest and most popular in the region.
Ticket prices start from just £10 in advance for the Festival of Food and Drink with free admission to see the cookery demonstrations as well as entry into Clumber Park included (usually £5 per adult). Family tickets are also available. Children aged five years and under are admitted free with a paying adult. For more info, visit www.festivaloffoodanddrink.com
