Nantwich Food Festival announces its Celebrity Chefs for 2026

The tens of thousands of visitors who visit Nantwich to enjoy the annual Food Festival will be pleased to hear that the festival will be held over three full days: 4th, 5th and 6th September.

Announcing the celebrity chefs, chef organizer Karen Young tells us:

“I am delighted to share details of the Celebrity Chefs who will be demonstrating this year; all of the chef demonstrations will take place in the all-weather Reaseheath Food Theatre which has ample seating. Locals and visitors really look forward to these demonstrations, which continue to be provided by the Festival free of charge.

“The talented and extremely personable Nigel Brown returns this year for two days to entertain us as both a much admired celebrity chef and also skilled compere. He is incredibly popular with visitors and, as a regular celebrity chef at Nantwich Food Festival, needs little introduction. When compering, Nigel provides an invaluable role - the ‘glue’ to ensure we all hear what is truly happening in the kitchen. In addition to Nigel, well-known celebrity chefs Lisa Faulkner and Jon Watts will be showcasing their skills in Nantwich.

“On Festival Saturday we will see the multitalented Lisa in action. Lisa is a cookery author, TV presenter and actor, who first established herself as a leading actor starring in high profile TV dramas, including Holby City, Spooks and Dangerfield.

“After winning BBC1′s Celebrity MasterChef in 2010, she started her remarkable food journey. In recent years her ITV cookery show, ‘John & Lisa’s Weekend Kitchen’, has inspired audiences; now in its 9th series, Lisa, alongside her husband John Torode, creates great family recipes for home cooks of all abilities.

“A talented and natural writer, all of her cookery books have been best sellers, plus she has gathered a large, dedicated following on Instagram, sharing her love for recipe writing.

 “Lisa has presented and cooked in many TV programmes, including ITV’s ‘This Morning’ and, along with Ben Shepherd, Channel 4’s ‘What’s Cooking?’. Her passion for cooking along with children led to CBBC’s ‘Crash My Kitchen’, where she teaches children and their families how to cook simple and healthy meals.

Lisa supports numerous charities that are close to her heart, including Adoption UK, Grief Encounters and Something To Look Forward To:

“In addition to her impressive cookery pedigree, Lisa continues to act; in 2026, she adds the stage to her list of talents, starring in the stage adaptation of 90's film Single White Female.”

In complete contrast, Nantwich will welcome Jon Watts on Festival Sunday.

Karen continues, saying:

“Jon left school at 16, became caught up with the wrong crowd and at 18, was sentenced to six and a half years in a young offenders’ institute.

“During his time in custody, with support, Jon transformed his mindset and discovered cooking through the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. He became the first person in custody to achieve Bronze, Silver and Gold, receiving his Gold Award at Buckingham Palace from HRH The Duke of Edinburgh two weeks before his release.

“Whilst in the institute, Jon also gained professional cookery qualifications and later joined Jamie Oliver’s restaurant Group, where he spent five years honing his skills. In 2015, he became self-employed, launching his food truck ‘Jon’s Street Food’ in St Albans; this led to many high profile opportunities including cooking in the X Factor house in 2016.

“When the pandemic hit and work disappeared, Jon adapted by sharing recipes online, quickly building a large following. With growing media attention, he began speaking in schools, prisons and businesses, sharing his story to inspire others. He has featured multiple times as a guest chef on ITV’s ‘This Morning’ and has appeared on BBC’s ‘Saturday Kitchen’.

“Jon released his debut, successful cookbook ‘Watts Cooking’ in October 2023; his second book, ‘Speedy Weeknight Meals’ became a Sunday Times bestseller in 2024 and a year later, Jon’s third cookbook, ‘Speedy Comfort’ also became a Sunday Times bestseller.

“Jon regularly returns to prisons to teach cooking and deliver motivational talks. In 2025, he became a trustee of Liberty Kitchen, a charity helping prisoners gain skills and helping to bridge the gap between prison and employment; he has also mentored aspiring chefs.”

Karen concludes, telling us:

“The line-up of more local, talented chefs is now well underway and we hope to share the details sometime in May.”

For details of all Nantwich Food Festival events please see the website:

https://www.nantwichfoodfestival.co.uk/

...or follow Nantwich Food Festival on social media.