Top Chefs cooking up a treat this year!

Once again two top UK chef’s will cook up some great seafood and Queenie treats for festival goers this year! Lets take a look in more detail!

SIMON WADHAM, HEAD CHEF
RIVINGTON GRILL

Born on the Isle of Wight, Simon attended Kingham Hill School in Oxfordshire before joining the army aged 15, serving abroad for the next seven years. Upon leaving the army he began working at the fashionable Joe’s Café in South Kensington. He then went to work for Oliver Peyton at Atlantic Bar & Grill, spending the next ten years working for Peyton, at most of his operations at one stage or another. In 2007, Simon joined Caprice Holdings as Head Chef at Rivington Grill Shoreditch and Greenwich where he works with locally sourced produce, creating distinctively British dishes. Outside of the kitchen, Simon is interested in film, mountain sports and sky diving.

RICHARD KIRKWOOD, HEAD CHEF
J SHEEKEY & J SHEEKEY OYSTER BAR

After school, Richard began working at Malmaison in his home city of Edinburgh. On moving to London he worked at The Hyde Park Hotel before joining Le Caprice as Demi Chef de Partie. In 1998 he helped to open the newly-refurbished J Sheekey as Junior Sous Chef. After taking a year off to travel he returned in 2003, working at Le Coq d’Argent and then rejoining Caprice Holdings at The Ivy. He took a break to help open the Paternoster Chop House before returning to The Ivy. In 2006, he moved back to J Sheekey as Senior Sous Chef and in 2009 was promoted to Head Chef.

Celebrity Chefs to attend Isle of Man Queenie Food Festival

Celebrity chefs Mitch Tonks and Mark Hix will be cooking up a storm at this year’s Isle of Man Queenie Festival. The TV personalities will be entertaining the crowds, providing demonstrations and cooking barbeques throughout the week-long festival of events.

Between writing books and appearing in his latest TV show, ‘Mitch and Matt’s Big Fish’, Mitch Tonks is an award winning restaurateur and fishmonger. His knowledge and expertise of seafood is second to non and his attendance at the second annual Queenie Festival will be a real treat for festival-goers.

As well as cooking barbeques and entertaining crowds, leading chef, author and TV personality Mark Hix, will use his experience as a finalist of the BBC’s Great British Menu to judge this year’s Manx Queenie recipe competition alongside Mitch. It will certainly take something special to amaze Mark, who has worked as Head Chef and Executive Head Chef for a number of Michelin graded restaurants including Le Caprice and The Ivy in London.

Mitch and Mark will be making up part of the judging panel for the public and hospitality Queenie recipe competitions that are currently open for everyone to try their hand at becoming an award-winning Chef. They will be entertaining the crowds at Marine Day and cooking up a treat on the barbeque at the ‘Love your beach’ day on Friday 3rd July at Port Erin Beach. Tickets will be available from Paddy’s Market in Port St Mary and at The Bay in Port Erin.

Isle of Man Queenie Festival organiser Tim Croft commented, “We are absolutely delighted to have two guests as well renowned as Mitch and Mark attend this year’s festival. Aside from their celebrity TV statuses, both have earned tremendous accolades for their contributions to the British Food world. It really is a fantastic opportunity for the Manx public to see and taste what Britain’s finest have to offer.”

The Isle of Man Queenie Festival, held from the 29th June to 5th July 2009, has daily events throughout the festival to appeal to adults and children. With competitions, big prizes, barbecues, bay swims and the chance to see and taste fantastic creations from two of the Britain’s top chefs, there is sure to be something for everyone.