CELEBRITY chefs and foodie fanatics will flock to a Cumbrian town this weekend for a two-day celebration of the county’s culinary talents.

Taking place in Cockermouth, the third Taste Cumbria Food Festival will see more than 100 of Cumbria’s producers, hoteliers and restaurateurs promote their goods.

Saturday Kitchen star James Martin and Sunday Brunch chef Simon Rimmer will join the likes of Cartmel’s Simon Rogan for a series of cooking demonstrations, using only local produce.

James Martin will cook up a ‘Cumbrian eggstravaganza’ during his demonstrations on Sunday, while food critic Jay Rayner will introduce Simon Rimmer’s sessions on Saturday.

Mary Houston, food tourism co-ordinator for Taste Cumbria, said: “We are very excited to see the creations that our celeb chefs will produce using Cumbria’s fantastic food and drink offering.”

Scott Fairweather, head chef at the Punch Bowl Inn at Crosthwaite, will be running a cookery demonstration on Saturday. He will be cooking up his twist on a dish he had at Marcus Wareing’s The Berkeley in London – Roast Quail, poached Westmorland Damsons, girolles, spinach puree and goats cheese tortellini.

Master baker Patrick Moore, of Staveley’s More? Artisan Bakery, will be talking visitors through the bread-making process at a ticketed event on Sunday.

And there will be plenty of samples to tempt tastebuds and fill stomachs throughout both days. Exhibitors will include Appleby Bakery, Cartmel Village Shop, Grasmere Gingerbread and Hawkshead Relish.

Sarah Kirkpatrick, of Appleby Bakery, said staff were looking forward to the weekend: “Last year was really good for us - we got a lot of business and it was really nice. And this year we will be in the Booths tent because we are launching new products in the store, so that is exciting.”

There will also be plenty of thirst-quenching choices, as the weekend combines with the Taste Cumbria Beer Festival – the largest in Cumbria.

Based at Jennings Brewery in Cockermouth, the event will spoil visitors for choice with 75 beers, seven ciders and three perries from breweries and microbreweries around the county.

Miss Houston added: “The festival this year will be the biggest and the best yet, and it is exclusively Cumbrian – all chefs will be using Cumbrian ingredients and we’ve been strict on that.

“It will be a culmination of a year of hard work from the Cumbrian food and drink industry and the Cockermouth community.”

For more information visit www.tastecumbria.com