News reports located on this page = 2.

Andi Oliver to host chef demos at Albert Dock's new Food and Drink Festival

THE Royal Albert Dock Liverpool have expressed their excited at announcing that the award winning celebrity chef and broadcaster, Andi Oliver, will be hosting a series of chef demonstrations and masterclasses, at the Dock's new Food and Drink festival, taking place 7 September to 8 September 2019.

The highly anticipated Food and Drink festival is part of the Dock's exciting and re-shaped events programme, Summer on the Dock, which will see a series of inspiring collaborations taking place, each centred around a large floating pontoon.

With the Food and Drink festival being the highlight of the summer festivities in the 5th week of the programme, visitors can expect a whole array of entertainment and foodie attractions. These will include everything from interactive chef demos from Docksiders and special guests, masterclasses and tasters, children's cookery sessions and much more to be announced.

Adding a truly unique element to the event, the chef demos will take place on the floating pontoon by the The Colonnades inner quay, with celebrity chef, Andi Oliver, presenting the demos. Recognised for being a main judge on the BBC's Great British Menu and an integral part of the Saturday Kitchen team, as both a guest host and chef, Andi has had a rich and varied career, with food being at the forefront throughout.

Commenting on the new Food & Drink festival, Andi says:- "It's so exciting to be part of such an innovative event at the iconic Albert Dock. Every time I visit Liverpool I fall in love a little bit more with the City! I'm genuinely impressed with the diverse food and drink scene and friendly people, so it's an honour to headline this new festival which I'm sure will be a huge success!"

Over the past year the Albert Dock has welcomed a variety of popular independents, including Rosa's Thai Cafe, Maray and Lunyalita to name a few, with the Food & Drink festival being the perfect opportunity for the Dock to showcase its new and improved diverse offering.

Warrington based DV8 Designs appointed to put Southport Market back on the map

THE skilled team DV8 Designs, based at Birchwood Park, have announced that they will partner again with Dawnvale Group, working alongside Sefton Council to transform the historical Southport Market in the popular North West seaside town. Plans are already underway and the project is set to return the site to its former glory and re-establish Southport as a cultural destination for the future.

Southport Market sits in the heart of the Town's Market District and with the original food hall burning down soon after its grand opening in 1857. The present building is the 2nd version of the design and retains its classic Victorian form. Following on from a major renovation more recently, the new Market operation has been in steady decline and so a radical new approach was urgently required.

DV8 Designs and Dawnvale have an established reputation within the food and drink industry; designing bars restaurants, distilleries and food halls including:- The Liverpool Gin Bar and Distillery on Castle Street, Liverpool and the recently opened:- 'meet, eat, work' destination EngineRooms, at Birchwood Park, in Warrington. The company's Directors, Warrington born Lee Birchall and Manchester born Neil Guest are trusted advisors to local Councils as well as cultural and destination management partners and are a passionate champion for the regeneration of Northern towns.

Directors of DV8 Designs Lee Birchall "We're delighted to be working with such a talented and experienced team on this innovative project for Southport. We bring our extensive experience and specialist knowledge of the sector to the table, along with our passion and our true Northern pride. The re-design of Southport Market space will be integral to the regeneration of this fantastic destination, and we are so proud to be involved."

The vision for the redesigned Market Hall will draw on the influences of successful UK and European food Markets with a cultural model that encourages social eating and sharing, local partnership and collaboration and that supports local producers and small businesses.

The Market will focus on Southport's coastal influences, sourcing the best local ingredients and produce as well as drawing on expertise from local food and drink specialists, such as brewers of craft ales and small batch spirits. A flexible event space within the venue will encourage collaboration and creativity and will be at the heart of the Market, providing a social hub and an ideal meeting place within the town.

With 22 miles of coast featuring stunning beaches and woodland along with open spaces and traditional seaside attractions, Southport has over 9.2 million visitors annually with an action packed events programme that draws in an additional 250,000 people over the year.

With a vibrant history and a colourful and varied mix of Art Deco, Victorian and contemporary architecture, the team won't have to look far for inspiration, and they plan to combine this with international influences and examples from around the Globe.

Southport's rich heritage along with its iconic architecture and evident Victorian past have provided a plethora of places for DV8 Designs to draw inspiration from, including the Pier, the elegantly landscaped Botanic Gardens, the traditional funfair and the Colonnades.

The Market Hall is bursting with character, with ornate ironwork and exposed brick giving the designers a 'reclaimed' aesthetic to use to their advantage. DV8 Designs and Dawnvale plan to plan to utilise elements of a fun fair, incorporating carousel horses and circus tent style canvas into the scheme.

For more information visit:- DV8-Designs.Co.UK / Dawnvale.Com or head to:- SouthportMarket.Com for the latest updates.