Award-winning chefs, fantastic food and fine wine are on the menu at this year’s Newport Show – with Michelin-starred TV chef Glynn Purnell the star attraction.
The show returns on Saturday, July 8, and Glynn – known as the ‘Yummy Brummie’ – will be this year’s celebrity chef. Glynn became a household name after his appearances on the Great British Menu – where he won in 2008 and 2009 and became a mentor the following year – and has been cooking professionally since the age of 14.
Having worked with Gordon Ramsay, Claude Bosi, and Gary Rhodes, he helped to launch Birmingham’s first Michelin-starred restaurant, Jessica’s, before also opening Purnell’s Restaurant in the city – which has held its Michelin star every year since first securing it in 2009.
Glynn continues to launch new ventures, including the Mount pub in Henley-upon-Arden which opened last year, and Plates by Purnell’s, which opened in February on Birmingham’s Cornwall Street. He will be sharing stories from his career, his cooking wisdom – and of course, some recipes – in the Show’s Festival of Food arena.
As ever, the Festival of Food will also be showcasing the best local produce and will feature demonstrations from some of Shropshire’s finest chefs and butchers throughout the day.
James Sherwin, who runs the renowned Wild Shropshire restaurant in Whitchurch, will be returning to showcase his food and menus – which draw upon the county’s bountiful produce, both farmed and foraged.
Having secured a Michelin guide plate award in 2021, James and his team are continuing to forge ahead with their mission to push the boundaries of dining in Shropshire. James will once again be taking part in cookery demonstrations during the day, and this year, for the first time, he will also be joined by Wild Shropshire’s sommelier, Jo Turner, for a wine tasting session.
Jo will be discussing natural wines – and what that means – and will introduce her audience to organic and biodynamic viticulture and explaining why Wild Shropshire chooses to offer these wines – with samples on hand to taste!
Another Great British Menu star, and Central region champion, Stuart Collins will also be returning with his popular cookery demonstrations. He will be showcasing the skills he learnt in kitchens from New York to Doha, and which he now utilises in his Michelin Plate-winning Docket 33 restaurant in Whitchurch. With a focus on the best local and seasonal produce, Stuart has proved himself a firm favourite with Festival of Food crowds.
Finally, Morgans Country Butchers – a Shropshire family with two centuries of experience in their trade – will be giving demonstrations during the day. With a focus on traditional techniques and a commitment to helping people re-discover forgotten cuts, Master Butcher Darren Morgan and his family have put the best of the region’s meat at the heart of their work in Waters Upton. They will be returning to show audiences how to get the best from the region’s finest farms.
Show Manager Sally Western said: “Our Festival of Food arena offers not only great shopping and taste experiences – but also the chance to watch some wonderful chefs and food experts prepare mouth-watering food and share their secrets.
“We’re delighted to be welcoming Glynn to the Newport Show, and can’t wait to see what he prepares – and he’ll be joined by a host of experts throughout the day, where there’ll be a real festival feel!”
The Newport Show returns on Saturday, July 8. To find out how to get your ticket, and to keep up to date with show news, visit www.newportshow.co.uk.
Shropshire Live is regulated by 