Shrewsbury Food Festival: Learn from the experts at cookery school

So while standard cookery schools charge squillions of quid for you to learn how to make a baguette – and a very nice baguette at that – Shrewsbury Food Festival gives people the chance to cook with chefs who are too busy to offer classes and who’d charge three figures per person if they did.

Fancy it? Good. It’s free.

The FBC Manby Bowdler Cookery School has been one of the revelations of the festival in the past two years. Curated by Shropshire’s maverick cook, Chris Burt, Executive Chef at Mytton & Mermaid, it gives you the chance to learn from the experts so that you can take your new skills home and rustle up a feast.

This year’s event will feature six classes. Just make sure you get to the tent early to reserve your spot – the courses always sell out and we’d hate for you to be disappointed.

Saturday

11.30am: Rock & Roll Butchery with Scott Rea and Chris Burt – Scott – or, as we like to call him, Elvis – will show you how to make magic from meat in this entertaining class.

12.30pm: #InstaFood with Chris Burt – Instagram is more important than TripAdvisor, newspaper reviews and critical recommendations in the digital age. So win prizes by preparing an Insta-friendly dish that you can photograph and pimp out to your friends.

1.30pm: Alice Through the Looking Glass – We like to retain a sense of mystery, from time to time, and so on this occasion, we’re going down the show-don’t-tell-route. Just make sure you’re not late – for this very important date. The Mad Hater will have your guts for garters if you are!

2.30pm: Dough Boy, with baker Rob Swift – Rob will be creating a new and exclusive Shrewsbury Food Festival bake at this year’s event. He’s done sushi bread and bread ice cream cones in previous years – this year he’s looking to go one better.

3.30pm: Master Chef – Paul Askew is a culinary star whose appearances on Saturday Kitchen, Great British Menu and other shows has earned him a huge following. Find out some of his tricks of the trade in this highly-prized class.

4.30pm: Cooking with Beer – Beer and chocolate sounds like the title of an Elvis Costello Record. It very nearly is. But in the hands of Shrewsbury Food Festival, it becomes something equally magical with dishes made from Hobsons Brewery beer and Luker Chocolate. Swoon.

Sunday June 24

11.30am: Off The Cuff with Chris Burt – When Chris Burt started to curate the two cooking stages, we used to ask him to reveal in advance what he would be doing, so that we could write about it for you. Then we realised there was a better way – don’t ask, let him get on with it, then stand back in amazement. Chris will be creating culinary fireworks as he lets off steam and gets creative.

12.30pm: Paul Askew – The man from Liverpool is back for a second day. Get there early to reserve your place with one of the true gentlemen of the culinary world.

1.30pm: One Man and His Pan – Mark Ellis, from Allium, in Chester, is a true live wire. A TV chef and winner of AA rosettes, he’ll whip up a storm in a unique cookery class.

2.30pm: Twinkle Twinkle Brummy Star – Leo Kattou will turn the tables as he puts cookery school students through their paces – rather than being put through his by Gregg Wallace and co.

3.30pm: Vegan-eautiful – Toyah Emily and TV’s Nick Knowles are due in town to create vegan treats in a new era of health-conscious food. Pick up all the tips you might need to lead a healthy, balanced live with a vegetable-based diet.

4.30pm: Charity Auction – The friends at Self Help Africa host a charity auction each year – where you can win prizes like dinner at a Shropshire restaurant for every month of the next year. Which is nice work, if you can get it. Bring your wallet and remember the golden rule of bidding: Go large or go home.