TorqEat - The food lovers’ destination this Bumper May Bank Holiday Weekend

Everyone loves the May bank holiday weekend. The sun shines, summer is well on its way and there’s every reason to be happy. Now here’s another! Due to last year’s enormous popularity which saw more than 5,000 people attend, Torquay’s free food festival, TorqEat, has been extended and is set to take place over two days on Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th May (10am until 6pm). Visit Torquay’s vibrant Harbourside and Cary Gardens to join in on this taste explosion.

Heading up the fantastic line up of chefs, Simon Hulstone, chef proprietor at Torquay’s Michelin starred restaurant The Elephant, will be impressing all with his talent for using local, seasonal produce to create hugely memorable flavours. He will be joined by Richard Hunt, the consultant and proprietor of the Devon Scone Company, and by MasterChef: The Professionals 2012 joint winner and head chef at The Treby Arms, Anton Piotrowski. Bruce Cole, who is the award-winning head chef from The Moorland Garden Hotel, and Jean Philippe Bidart or JP as he is known, the head chef at the multi-award winning Millbrook Inn at South Pool, will also be participating. All of whom will be displaying their expertise during a range of informative and fascinating demonstrations throughout the two days, along with many other outstanding guest chefs who are yet to be announced.

This year you will once again be able to try and buy from over 40 local food and drink producers, all showcasing a delicious mix of products from across the Bay and the region. Producers who have already confirmed their attendance at this year’s festival include Partridge Farm Meats, Lemon Jelli, Bays Brewery, Kenniford Farm, The Bloomberry Juice Company and new for 2014 St Ives Cider, The Big Pot Kitchen Company, Southwestern Distillery and lots more. There will also be a mixture of skilled arts and craft makers demonstrating their wares and in the lead up to the festival, the Town’s leading restaurants and cafés will be laying on a special Restaurant Trail menu for locals and visitors to follow.

TorqEat forms part of a family friendly bumper weekend in the Bay with Brixham Pirate Festival taking place over three days (3rd – 5th May) and The Bikers Make a Difference Festival (2nd – 4th May) transforming Paignton Green, giving locals and visitors alike a whole weekend of activities to enjoy in Torbay.

Commenting on behalf of TorqEat, Torquay Town Centre BID manager Rachael Weaver says: “Last year's TorqEat was a fantastic success, with a glamorous harbour setting, many food aromas and glorious sunshine. With lots of interesting foods to sample, cookery demonstrations and also entertainment it was a vibrant day.” RachaeI continues: “I am looking forward to growing the event in 2014 and have been working closely with Taste of the West who has sourced some excellent and unusual food and drink stands to take part.”

Chief executive of Taste of the West, John Sheaves says: “We’re delighted here at Taste of the West to be involved with TorqEat for the second year running. Its popularity last year, with the numbers attending far exceeding our expectations, highlights the current importance and love of produce from the South West. It’s a superb opportunity for local food and drink producers to showcase their fantastic products and for the county’s hugely talented chefs to demonstrate their culinary skills.”

The free food festival which takes place in the very heart of Torquay is brought to you by businesses within the Torquay BID in collaboration with the highly respected Taste of the West. Sponsors of TorqEat confirmed to date are Caterfoods and Total Produce.
Torquay town centre is located in a Business Improvement District, a not-for-profit organisation which aims to regenerate areas and increase footfall within the town. Money invested by the town’s business rate payers provides the opportunity to improve the façade of Torquay with benefits including staging and promoting more events such as markets, food and arts festivals including TorqEat and seasonal events.

Established in 1991, Taste of the West helps small and medium sized food and drink businesses in the South West to flourish and has helped showcase the best of the South West’s food and drink at public events across the region.

For further information on TorqEat or to become a sponsor contact Evelyn Westwater at ew@tasteofthewest.co.uk or visit Taste of the West’s website: www.tasteofthewest.co.uk; follow @Tasteofthewest on Twitter or ‘like’ Taste of the West on Facebook or go to www.torquay.torbaytowns.co.uk