Third helping for fantastic food and drink festival

The organisers of a popular, three-day food festival have come back for thirds - with a bigger and better array of food and drink than ever before.

Sheffield Food Festival, taking place from Friday 14 to Sunday 16 September across the city, will feature The Apprentice 2012 runner-up Nick Holzherr and local chef Simon Ayres, who has grown an organic garden on the roof of the city's award-winning independent cinema.

The festival first launched in 2010.  Since last year it has been delivered jointly by Sheffield City Council and Sheffield Hallam University.

This year's festival will spread from Fargate to  the Winter Garden and Millennium Square, and will feature Sheffield Breweries Co-operative running a craft beer tent featuring selections from nine city breweries.

Last year the festival attracted an additional 45,000 people to the city centre, giving a welcome boost to the local economy. Organisers are confident of eclipsing the figures this year.

Councillor Isobel Bowler, Cabinet Member for Culture, Sport and Leisure said: "Sheffield Food Festival returns for a third year with an appetising menu of food-related events.  Last year's festival weekend attracted more than 45,000 people and celebrated Sheffield as a city of excellent tastes.  We are pleased to be working again with Sheffield Hallam on this year's event."

Niki Baker, from Sheffield Business School at Sheffield Hallam, said: "It has been great to work on the festival again this year. We have really tried to give the festival a family appeal and are very excited that so many local businesses are taking part and helping us to deliver so many events."

A food and drink market will run the length of Fargate, showcasing local produce.  And at the top of the street at Town Hall Square will be a festival demonstration kitchen inclulding The Apprentice’s Nick Holzherr and top local chefs such as Rupert Rowley of Fischers, Andy Gabbitas of the Wortley Arms, Lee Mangles of Silversmiths and members of Richard Smith’s BrewKitchen team.

The Peace Gardens will host an array of mini pop-up restaurants run by popular local names including Relish, Nonnas, Street Food Chef, Lokanta and Edo Sushi.

The Winter Garden and Millennium Square will see feast of fun, family-focused activities.  This will include a Mad Hatters Tea Party, tips for budding gardeners on growing their own and chocolate master classes for sweet-toothed youngsters.  Plus, Sheffield’s biggest teddy bear’s picnic will include food-themed story telling, including Eric Carle’s ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ and Judith Kerr’s ‘The Tiger Who Came to Tea’.

And Sheffield Hallam will host a festival classroom for master classes with fungi specialist Dr Patrick Harding, wine expert Professor Gareth Morgan, who lectures in charities management and fishmonger Christian Szurko from JH Mann.

For more details and a full programme of events, go to www.sheffieldfoodfestival.org

For press information contact: Laurie Harvey on 0114 2252621 or email pressoffice@shu.ac.uk