Seaham Food Festival: Michelin-starred Jean-Christophe Novelli and Masterchef's Pookie Tredell to appear

Organisers of the Durham County Council event have already confirmed that Saturday Kitchen’s Matt Tebbutt and Bake Off: The Professionals’ Cherish Finden will be appearing over the weekend of August 6 and 7.

Now they have announced that MasterChef 2022 runner-up Pookie Tredell will be appearing on stage on Saturday, while Jean-Christophe Novelli will be sharing cooking tips and stories from his long and successful career on Sunday.

Beginning as a baker at just 14 in Northern France, Jean-Christophe arrived in the UK in 1983 and spent a year helping his mentor and friend Keith Floyd as chef-manager of his pub and restaurant.

In 1996, he opened his first restaurant Maison Novelli, followed quickly by Novelli W8, Novelli EC1 and Les Saveurs in Mayfair. He has accumulated four consecutive Michelin stars during the course of his career.

Pookie Tredell grew up in Bangkok and initially came to the UK study and set up a beauty business before discovering her passion for cooking when she and husband Heath started hosting parties for friends and family.

MasterChef viewers and the judges themselves became fans of her unique approach to presenting dishes, influenced by her Thai and Chinese background and her travels.

Since her TV appearance, Pookie and Heath have been expanding their culinary horizons, travelling around the world on their catamaran, exploring the best places to eat and cooking different cuisines as they go.

Coun Elizabeth Scott, Durham County Council’s Cabinet member for economy and partnerships, said she excited about the line-up: “We are delighted to be able to announce the next set of celebrity chefs who will be inspiring audiences with their cooking talents and captivating demonstrations.

"We are really looking forward to welcoming Jean-Christophe and Pookie to Seaham and showing them what our seaside festival has to offer.

“With just over eight weeks to go, we hope people are getting their appetites ready for a fun-filled weekend full of delicious food and exciting entertainment.”

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