ORGANISERS have revealed more of what visitors to Alresford Watercress Festival can expect this year.
The celebration of watercress is returning on Sunday, May 21.
Joining culinary and seasonal ingredients expert Mark Hix on the cookery stage will be MasterChef: The Professionals 2022 finalist, Charlie Jeffreys and TV chef, Lesley Walters, all showing their skills with watercress.
Mark will also be making extra portions of his watercress recipes so that audience members can bid to buy them and raise funds for the festival charity Abby’s Heroes.
Completing the line-up will be appearances from local favourites, Andy Mackenzie from the Chef’s Academy, Phil Yeomans, executive chef at Lainston House and Yvonne Hamlett, head chef at the Tichborne Arms.
READ MORE: Alresford Watercress Festival to return for 19th year
Mark Hix will also be judging Barter’s Best for the most innovative use of watercress in food products being sold on the stalls at the festival. Previously known as the Watercress Food Awards, the competition has been renamed after Charles Barter who died at the end of last year. Charles was a key figure in the Watercress industry and a driving force behind the launch of the Watercress Festival 19 years ago.
New for this year is a BBQ Workshop run by Season Cookery School at Lainston House where participants can learn how to make barbecued dirty steak, watercress flatbread, chimichurri and chipotle mayonnaise to take away. The Season BBQ Workshop will be in Broad Street, just before the Hampshire Farmers Market on the right-hand side. Booking via watercressfestival.org/events/season-bbq-workshops is essential as spaces are limited. Participants should arrive at least five minutes before their start time.
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Festival goers can also be in with a chance of winning a meal for two, worth £100, at Mark Hix’s Lyme Regis restaurant The Oyster and Fish House.
The day begins at 10am with the opening cavalcade and freshly harvested watercress being thrown to the crowds by the newly crowned Watercress King and Queen.
For more information and to keep up to date go to watercressfestival.org.
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