Experts, Personalities and Chefs in 2011

Anna Del Conte
		Born in Milan Anna Del Conte ‘s first book Portrait of Pasta, was published in 1975. After the acclaim the book received she became the first cookery writer in England to specialise in Italian food. Her books have won many prizes and in 1994 Anna Del Conte was Awarded the Verdicchio d’Oro prize for ‘having contributed to the diffusion of the right and documented knowledge of Italian food and cooking’. She contributes regularly to Sainsbury’s Magazine and received the Glenfiddich award for one of her articles in 1999. Anna Del Conte lives in Dorset with her husband close to her daughter and her beloved grandchildren. Anna Del Conte will be cooking pasta with her granddaughter Coco at 12 noon on Sunday in the Chococo Chocolate Workshops Tent along with 4 of our lucky competition winners.

Rose Prince

		The author and writer of numerous cookery books and leading food journalist (Saturday Telegraph etc.) Rose will be joining the Q&A panel on the Saturday as well as treating us to a demonstration at 3pm.

Scott Comyns
		Scott brings a lifelong love of wine to his role as Tempus Two’s Winemaker. He has always taken full advantage of each and every opportunity, starting with becoming his parents’ personal sommelier. Seduced by the magic of wine, Scott worked his way around Australia, seeking out roles that allowed him to develop a real, hands-on appreciation of the regional differences. He first became part of the company when he joined McGuigan Wines in 2002. After an exploratory European sabbatical to refine his skills, he moved to Tempus Two to work under the founding winemaker Sarah Kate Dineen and was appointed Winemaker 6 years later. Scott will be doing a wine tasting experience at 5pm on Saturday in the Aga Rangemaster Cookery Theatre. You can also meet Scott on the Tempus Two stand.

Jez Barfoot

		Quarter-finalist in 2010′s Masterchef, and the Executive Chef at Dean’s Court will be creating some great food in the Taste the Garden Tea Room and will also be cooking up wild-style in The Great Outdoors plus demonstrating with Matt Davey and Lee Morton in the Aga Rangemaster Cookery Theatre at 4pm on Saturday.

Matt Davey
		Passionate and excited food junkie, who lives and breathes cooking. Bib Gourmand awarded Matt has headed up some of the finest kitchens in Dorset seeking out and bringing together Dorset’s finest ingredients, from the very best suppliers, with this in mind he is now running his own Hungry Black Dog Supper Club that offers a completely unique dining experience which is hosted at Deans Court itself.


Lesley Waters
		Lesley has regularly appeared Ready Steady Cook, Great Food Live and This Morning, a former Head Tutor of Leith’s School of Food & Wine, author of several cookery books, with her very own Lesley Waters Cookery School at Minterne House in Dorset. Lesley will be demonstrating at 11am on Saturday.

Mat Follas
		Winner of 2009 Masterchef, now runs The Wild Garlic Restaurant in Beaminster. Mat will be doing a double act with John “The Fish” Bell at 1pm on Sunday.

Andy Kelly
		Andy Kelly moved to Dorset in 2008 from Northampton where he worked alongside two of the towns most renowned restauranteurs at Sophias Restaurant and PapaCinos. Andy has cooked in some of Dorset’s finest eateries and has currently settled at the Thimble Inn in Piddlehinton. Andy is particularly interested in Molecular Gastronomy (where science meets food – think Heston!) and cites Harold McGee and Herve This as his influences. As Head Chef at The Thimble Inn, he works hard to reduce the pub’s carbon/trotter/hoof print by sourcing local pork, free-range lamb and beef from Honeybrook Farm and can often be found foraging for local wild food. Andy will be demonstrating at 2pm on Saturday and is on the Q&A panel.

John Bell
		Wimborne’s charismatic ‘John the Fish’ is the 4th generation of his family to follow the career of fishmonger. His deep knowledge of his subject and animated trading style has faithful regulars queuing at his popular stall everyday. John will be teaming up with Mat Follas at 1pm on Sunday.

Charlotte Pike
		Managing Director of Go Free Foods, baker of award-winning natural, handmade freefrom cakes, based in Wimborne but which sell nationwide. Charlotte writes weekly food blogs for HELLO! Magazine.com, The Huffington Writers, and under her own name. She is also a member of the Guild of Food Writers. Charlotte grew up in the Wimborne area and she is a great champion of Dorset food. Charlotte is a talented and passionate cook. Her particular areas of expertise are baking and freefrom cookery and she is a keen advocate of encouraging younger people to cook. Charlotte is demonstrating at 12 noon on Sunday.

Diana Guy
		Diana lives near Wimborne and is a leading garden designer and horticultural consultant. As the BBC’s ‘Gardener of the Year 2004′ her broad knowledge extends to all areas of horticulture. Her herb talks will cover the medical and culinary properties of herbs and their cultivation. Diana joins us again in year three to deliver some very interesting herb garden talks and tours.

Fran Warde
		Chef and food writer Fran Warde has worked all over the globe, from mountains to the high seas, all in the pursuit of culinary perfection. Raised in the rural West Country and an enthusiastic cook as a child, Fran is now based in London with her own successful cookery school. She is the co-author, with best selling novelist Joanne Harris, of The French Market (2002) and The French Kitchen (2005), which won a Golden Ladle at the 2005 World Food Media Awards. She has written extensively for food magazines, including BBC Good Food, the Saturday Times Magazine, Waitrose Food Illustrated and was food editor of Red Magazine, before taking over as Food Editor for Tescos Magazine. Fran’s work for television includes appearances on Great Food Live, Light Lunch and Ready Steady Cook. Recent Books: The Ginger Pig Meat Book (Mitchell Beazley: 2011). Fran is demonstrating at 1pm on Saturday and is also joins our Q&A Panel.

Julian Ings
		Julian grew up on his family’s market garden in Redlynch in Wiltshire and is the third generation of growers and horticulturalists. He followed a career in Nature Conservation and worked for the RSPB and National Trust. He also worked in the historical gardens at Sexy’s Hospital in Bruton. Julian has worked at Deans Court for over a year now as the head gardener and works growing vegetables in the walled garden and throughout the gardens. Julian has enjoyed the last year restoring the Herb Garden and planning and designing the cottage gardens that are now holiday homes. Julian Ings along with Troy Coverdale are delivering the Karden Talks and Tours.

Troy Coverdale
		Troy is the full-time assistant gardener at Deans Court and is responsible for helping to run the walled kitchen garden. After working for many years with one of Warwickshires leading Organic Market Gardens where he was personally responsible for starting up a very successful Vegetable Box Scheme, Troy brought his extensive knowledge and immense enthusiasm to Deans Court in 2009. Troy has very passionate views on growing heritage vegetable varieties, without the use of pesticides and fertilizers. He has a very good all round knowledge of vegetable horticulture and indepth interest in polytunnel and greenhouse growing.

Lee Morton		Director, The Dorset Charcuterie Company (Purbeck Larder), Bere Farm, Lychett Matravers, Dorset. Lee originally trained as a chef and having worked with Cranborne Meats he combined his experience and passion for Dorset food to start his own business – The Dorset Charcuterie Company and The Purbeck Larder. If anyone knows about meat, Lee does. Lee has always loved food, and is passionate about promoting Dorset produce, shooting and foraging. You can find out more about his business and products at his stand next to teh Great Outdoors and watch him demonstrating with Jez Barfoot and Matt Davey at 4pm on Saturday in the Aga Rangemaster Cookery Theatre.

Tamasin Day-Lewis
		After reading English at King’s College Cambridge, having gained a place as one of the male bastion’s first women, Tamasin became a documentary film maker, directing and producing 28 films for the BBC, ITV and C4. Always passionate about food, she wrote her first book West of Ireland Summers, A Cookbook in 1996 and has written a dozen more since. She wrote the Daily Telegraph’s food column for 6 years and contributes on food and all subjects related and unrelated in Vanity Fair, English and American Vogue, The Times, the Daily and Sunday Mail, Saveur, the FT and the Marshwood Vale Food Magazine. She has made two television series and broadcasts regularly on TV and radio. She teaches masterclasses from home to Madrid to New Zealand to the West of Ireland. Tamasin has 3 children and lives in Somerset and County Mayo in the West of Ireland. Tamasin is part of our Q&A panel.

Luke Holder
		British born Luke Holder spent 10 years of his childhood growing up in Dubai. That, together with a year long backpacking stint through South East Asia, really inflamed his already big passion for food and cooking. On his return to the UK in 1998 Luke began working for Chris Galvin at the very exclusive Orrery Restaurant in London. He went on to work at Sugar Reef, The Sloane Club and the Oxo Tower. Luke then opened a fine-dining restaurant in Thailand follwed by a brief spell working in Dubai alongside Stephane Bucholzer and concluded with a year cooking in the kitchen of three Michelin starred Enoteca Pinchiorri, Florence. In 2008 he became head chef at The Lakeside Park Hotel, Isle of Wight and in January 2010 Luke became head chef at Lime Wood Hotel. Luke is demonstrating at 2pm on Sunday.

Matt Cook
		Fish Face Chef Matt Cook takes great personal pride in creating exciting and imaginative dishes with passion and flair. Matt’s accomplished career includes Head Chef for Marco Pierre White at Talkhouse in Oxford, Head Chef at the Bull, Bridport, Senior Sous Chef at Branksome Beach and Senior Sous Chef at Bel Mondo’s in Sydney. Matt’s work is characterised by fresh thinking, consummate standards and meticulous planning, but ultimately by his absolute passion and dedication. Matt is demonstrating at 10am on Saturday.

Giles Henschel – Olives Et Al
		After an average education involving two expulsions and amassing the grand total of 5 O Levels, Giles joined the Army. There followed a 10 year career in uniform with responsibility for building things, blowing up things, marching about a bit and generally not getting caught. On leaving the forces (miraculously, at his own request) Giles spent a year long honeymoon with his new wife, Annie, travelling around the Mediterranean, Middle East and North Africa on two motorbikes. On the return from the trip, and having spent much of their time researching olives and olive oils, the couple set up their business, Olives Et Al, in 1993 with the aim of bringing authentic olive production techniques and products to the British Market having found that the olives available to the UK market were a far cry from the ones they had experienced during their trip. 18 years later the company now employs 51 people and supplies over 2,500 outlets across the UK and beyond. Giles says the only reason he ended up starting his own business was no-one else would employ him. That remains true to this day. Giles is our chairman for the Q&A session.

Julia Cotton
		Julia Cotton, founder of Julia’s Kitchen Cookery School in Poole, Dorset, spent several years cooking for cast & crew in television and film production in Hollywood, Los Angeles. It is here that Julia’s wealth of knowledge about fusion food really developed. She wrote for a number of publications including a regular food column until she started The Junior Cookery workshops in 2001. Today Julia runs Cookery workshops for adults and children as well as hosting local corporate cookery team building events at her cookery school in Poole. Julia will be doing a demonstration at 11am on Sunday.

Ian Gibbs
		Head Chef at the Print Room in Bournemouth, passionate about Dorset and local produce and well known and loved by the local chef and foodie scene. Previously Ian worked at The Coventry Arms, Wimborne, winning Dorset Magazine’s dining pub of the year and achieving an AA rosette. Ian’s career includes being a multi medallist at hotelympia, London (achieving a full set of live medals!!) and being selected to cook for Her Majesty the Queen and Prince Phillip, Maundy Thursday service at Gloucester Cathedral in 2003 and meet them. His International experience includes working at the 2 Star Michelin Zaldiaran Restaurant, Vitoria, Northan Spain. Ian is our compere for the Aga Rangemaster Cookery Theatre on both days.

Mark Woodhouse
		Hall & Woodhouse’ Chairman Mark Woodhouse has been with the family business since 1979. Not that Hall & Woodhouse is just any family business; they have brewing Badger beers in the heart of the Dorset countryside since 1777! A true ambassador for real ale and an active member of the Dorset community, Mark spends his time sailing and indulging in his other passion, horse racing. Not to mention the odd pint at one of Hall & Woodhouse’s delightful pubs whilst out exploring the walks and trails of the Dorset countryside. When it comes to ale and food, Mark is happy to advise on the perfect pairings – his favourite however is a glass of Badger’s warming Blandford Flyer with a creamy Dorset Blue Vinney. Mark will be doing a Beer & Cheese Tasting Demo at 3pm on Sunday with Charlie Turnbull.

Charlie Turnbull
		As well as owning and running Turnbulls deli and cafe in Shaftesbury, Charlie Turnbull is passionate about cheese and enjoys nothing more than introducing his customers to truckles, wheels, wedges and dollops of delicious artisan cheeses that he has gathered together. Charlie is also an international cheese judge who was recently part of the supreme panel for the Great Taste Awards held at Fortnum & Mason. Charlie has also judged cheese for Nantwich International Cheese Festival, Taste of the West, Bath & West Show and the World Cheese Awards, even occasionally for the French at the Concours General Agricole. Charlie gives talks on cheese and beer matching at food festivals and lectures local social groups like the WI on the pleasure of cheese. With his landrover and tent strapped to the roof, he visits Frenchmen in one horse towns to check out their cheesemaking skills. His favourite recipe – Family, friends, food, put in a mixing bowl and stir vigorously. Charlie will doing a Beer and Cheese Tasting demonstration at 3pm on Sunday with Mark Woodhouse from Hall & Woodhouse.

Peter Collett
		Former Headmaster. Successful fruit grower, exhibitor and writer. Collection 30 plus, kinds of fruit including over 100 varieties of apple. Featured in RHS ‘The Garden’ 2004. President of the Hampshire Fed. Horticultural Societies. RHS Fruit Judge and Fruit Group Comm. Peter and his apple identification team will be delighted to see you.

Paul Barnett
		Successful professional tree nurseryman and propagator, especially fruit. Featured in BBC’s Gardeners World 2010, RHS ‘The Garden’ 2009. Personally hand grafted a single mature Bramley’s seedling with more than 250 other apple varieties.

Harry Baker
		Associate of Honour Royal Horticultural Society. Former Fruit Officer, RHS Gardens, Wisley. Leading World Authority on cool temperate fruits especially apples. Author of many classic and renowned works on fruit. TV series on Fruit growing. RHS Fruit Judge and Fruit Trials Comm.

Gerry Edwards
		Has his own professional garden design and services company and is a successful organic horticulturalist, fruit grower, writer and exhibitor. He has his own large fruit collection especially apples. Chairman of the RHS Fruit Group, RHS Fruit Judge and Fruit Trials Comm.

Robin Harford
		Robin Harford gathers wild edible plants on a daily basis for his family, and is creator of the UK’s leading wild food site Eatweeds.co.uk. His wild food, family-friendly courses have been recommended in the BBC Good Food Magazine, Guardian, GQ etc. He has taught at Eden Project, been featured in BBC2′s Edwardian Farm and consults with TV companies and celebrity chefs. Join Robin on a ’gourmet’ wild food foraging walk at the Feast of Dorset at 11am and 2pm on both days.