TV chef John Torode will be on the menu at a County Durham food festival this spring when he will be displaying his culinary skills for free.
The BBC MasterChef presenter - who now co-hosts his ITV show John and Lisa’s Weekend Kitchen with wife Lisa Faulkner - will be one of the star attractions on the first day of the April 18-19 Bishop Auckland Food Festival.
And in a festival first, visitors will be able to watch the celebrity chef demonstrations without buying a ticket.
While entry is free to the event itself, which is hosted in the town's Market Place, tickets were previously needed for the celebrity spots - but now foodies will have open access to a new cookery marquee where the top-end action will be happening.
Torode, whose planned appearance at a food festival in Seaham last year was rained off, is looking forward to this spring's date giving him another chance to visit the North East.
He said: "I am really looking forward to coming to Bishop Auckland Food Festival.
"I have heard great things about the event and the wonderful produce that can be found in the North East."
And he is hoping that lots of foodies will turn up, saying: "Please come along and say hello. I love to meet people who share my passion for food and cooking.”
The Australia-born chef, who is one of those credited with introducing Australasian food to the UK in the 1990s, will be demonstrating a selection of dishes on the Saturday of the festival weekend which is set to attract huge crowds.
Run by Durham County Council, the event last year attracted more than 29,000 people - in a boost for local businesses and more than 150 traders - and among last year's star guests was Torode's MasterChef co-presenter Gregg Wallace who described Bishop Auckland as "one of the nicest, friendliest places I’ve been".
Other previous celebrity chef attendees have included Rosemary Shrager.
Over the two-day run of this year's festival, visitors will find a range of the top local produce - from street food to cakes and desserts - brought by traders from across the North East.
Running alongside the food stalls will be a programme of workshops with attractions for both adults and children while, besides the main cookery theatre, there also will be a platform for talented local chefs and restaurateurs on a Market Place stage.
As an extra crowd-puller, a mix of bands and singers will be providing a musical backdrop to all the culinary action.
Coun Joy Allen, the council’s cabinet member for transformation, culture and tourism, called the festival "a wonderful day out for the whole family" and an opportunity for visitors to discover all that the area has to offer.
She said: "It is such an exciting time for Bishop Auckland, as the town hall is also reopening this spring following a major revamp."
