Rochdale’s festival favourite on food and drink line-up

Aazam Ahmad will be appearing at at Rochdale Food & Drink Festival

BBC Fusion chef Aazam Ahmad will be returning to Rochdale for Rochdale Food & Drink Festival this year.

The ever popular chef will be making his tenth appearance in Rochdale, after previously cooking on the food stage at Rochdale Feel Good Festival from 2008 until 2016.

Aazam has appeared on television and radio and is a favourite at top food festivals across the world, including the BBC Good Food Show in Birmingham here in the UK. Born and bred in Manchester, he has a passion for his city and world cuisine. 

Along with his sense of humour and northern charm, his English and Asian cooking skills always prove popular in Rochdale, and Aazam said he is very excited about returning: “I’ve absolutely loved my shows in Rochdale over the years and the community spirit in the town is fantastic. I’m looking forward to Rochdale Food & Drink Festival, I heard it was a big success last time around and I’m excited to be part of it, as well as meeting up with old friends and making new ones.”

Councillor Janet Emsley, cabinet member for neighbourhoods, community and culture at Rochdale Borough Council said: “Aazam has been a familiar face in Rochdale for many years and is always a popular draw on our food stages.

"Visitors can expect more culinary delights to whet their appetite and as well as the chef demonstrations we will have a tempting range of food and drink stalls and another programme of fabulous entertainment. So if you are a local foodie business interested in trading at the festival, do get in touch with us now.”

Aazam Ahmad joins a line-up that already includes television chef Dean Edwards and Rochdale’s star foodie Andrew Nutter. Children’s favourite Mr Bloom will be appearing on the family stage, along with more guests still to be announced.

Rochdale Food & Drink Festival returns for a second year on Saturday 16 March 2019 in and around the magnificent setting of Rochdale Town Hall from 11am to 8pm.

The festival food theatre will be located inside the grade one listed town hall with an additional indoor seating area in the Clock Tower Dining Room where you can watch the chef demonstrations on a big screen. Upstairs in the Great Hall you’ll find the festival market with plenty of stalls selling tasty treats. There’ll be an outside street food and drink village, themed foodie workshops plus live music and activities – with lots to offer from nearby local pubs, bars and restaurants.

The festival is organised by the council with sponsorship from Premier Kia, the Rochdale Kia dealership based on Molesworth Street.