Top chefs to cook up a treat at food and drink festival

Between them, Kevin Woodford and Lesley Waters have dished up more TV treats than most people have had hot dinners.

Now they're bringing their skills and style to the festival's Piece Hall cookery theatre.

"We're going to have bags of fun in Halifax. Yorkshire folk love their food and they love a laugh too, so I reckon it's going to be a riot," said Mr Woodford.

The award-winning presenter of Can't Cook Won't Cook and Ready Steady Cook will be re-creating both shows on stage.

He added: "If you think that the TV programmes are a bit manic, wait till you see the live version. Mix together a few novice cooks, some crazy professional chefs and a race against the clock, and you have all the ingredients for outrageous entertainment."

Ms Waters, another Ready Steady Cook regular as well as chef on ITV's This Morning, is equally excited about the festival.

She said: "There's so much great food being created in Yorkshire, with wonderful ingredients from dedicated local producers. I can't wait to get stuck in.''

The two chefs will be joined by some top local talent. Lee Marshall, from The Design House Restaurant, Dean Clough in Halifax, will be cranking up the hob on the food theatre stage, along with head chef Ben Varley, from The Rock at Holywell Green.

Yorkshire Life food and wine consultant Annie Stirk will compere the cookery theatre, where Anita Cormac and Matthew Benson-Smith, from The Cooking School at Dean Clough, will present a demonstration called Cooking – Your Recipe for Life.

Last year more than 17,000 people visited the Halifax Food and Drink Festival and organisers expect the 2010 event to be the biggest yet.

The Halifax Food and Drink Festival is on June 5 and 6 at the The Piece Hall, Halifax and is open from 11am to 4.30pm each day.