Chefs Gary Rhodes and Rachel Allen Open Taste of Edinburgh

Two of the country’s best culinary talents, TV favourites Gary Rhodes and Rachel Allen, got together today (1 July 2011) to open the doors for the first day of Scotland’s largest food and drink festival, Taste of Edinburgh.

A stellar line-up of chefs from 15 of the country’s best restaurants joined the renowned UK chefs in a gastronomic celebration as Taste of Edinburgh returns to its original location of The Meadows for its biggest and best show yet.

From 1-3 July, some of the finest culinary talents in the country will travel from far and wide for what promises to be an unforgettable weekend of fine dining and entertainment.

Foodie fans will be treated to back-to-back food and drink demonstrations as top UK chefs  showcase their skills and expertise.

Gary and Rachel will be joined by Gordon Ramsay protégé and chef patron of the renowned Pollen Street Social, Jason Artherton, French heart-throb Jean-Christophe Novelli, Bulgarian beauty Silvena Rowe, Scottish culinary ambassadors Tom Kitchin and Martin Wishart as well as Michelin-starred Daniel Galmiche and Martin Blunos as each demonstrates their unique styles of cooking live in specially created theatres.

These world-renowned chefs will join a stellar line-up of restaurants serving up their finest dishes in an unbeatable gourmet feast, representing the very best of Scottish culinary talent including: Café Gandolfi, Cail Bruich, Chez Rouz, Cucina at Hotel Missoni, First Coast, Kama Sutra, Restaurant Mark Greenaway, Restaurant Martin Wishart, Ondine, Plumed Horse, Tigerlily, Two Fat Ladies, VinCaffé and Wedgwood the Restaurant.

Taste Festivals managing director, Justin Clarke, says: "This year is without a doubt our biggest Taste of Edinburgh yet.

"We’ve worked really hard to bring together the strongest and most exciting UK chef line-up to date and the very best of Scotland’s restaurants, chefs and producers.

"For the first time, this year we are thrilled to welcome three iconic restaurants from Glasgow and Chez Roux, making sure our line-up really showcases what Scotland has to offer.

"As well as inspiring dishes, chefs will explain their own ethos on cooking – why they choose different ingredients and what they love about Scottish food and drink, because there is a lot to love!

"I encourage anyone with a passion for eating or cooking good food to get down to The Meadows this weekend."

Councillor Steve Cardownie, festivals and events champion in the capital, said: "Edinburgh is a culinary delight for food-lovers, with an outstanding range of restaurants and standards that are at the highest level.

"The festival helps to showcase both the excellent fare and culinary skills that exist in the city. Once again it will surely whet the appetite for locals and visitors and encourage them to taste more of what Edinburgh has to offer."

This year, visitors will also have a chance to brush up on their own culinary skills with hands-on AEG Perfekt Cooking Classes with Cook School by Martin Wishart, and sessions at the Waitrose Cookery School where they can create stunning dishes with the freshest, local and seasonal ingredients.

Gary Rhodes, Michelin-star chef Martin Wishart and Steven Doherty, the first ever British head chef to receive three Michelin stars when working at Albert Roux’s Le Gavroche, will also be swapping their state-of-the-art kitchens to run a pop-up charity restaurant.

Each day a different chef will run the restaurant, donating their culinary skills and expertise to make a difference to child hunger and malnutrition, with all profits going to leading humanitarian charity, Action Against Hunger.

Taste Festivals is the inspiration of Brand Events, which joined forces with Channel 4 in September 2006. In 2011, Taste Festivals will be held in Edinburgh and London in the UK and internationally in Amsterdam, Auckland, Cape Town, Dubai, Dublin, Johannesburg, Melbourne, Milan and Sydney.

Brand Events also produces Taste of Christmas, the festive foodie event that is held in London.

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