The National Geographic Traveller Food Festival (due to be held 18-19 July at the Business Design Centre, London) has announced the first names on its lineup and launched a revamped website. Among the big names appearing at the festival are Jack Stein, Olia Hercules, Asma Khan and José Pizarro.

Last year’s successful event attracted more than 5,500 attendees, with 45 exhibitors and 59 talks, demonstrations and masterclasses welcoming visitors to experience the world through food and travel. On the Main Stage, there was a series of demonstrations from celebrity chefs and interviews with top food personalities. 

This year’s first billed chefs include: 

• Jack Stein: Jack began his career as a kitchen porter at dad Rick Stein’s The Seafood Restaurant. He’s worked all over the world and is now executive development chef for Rick Stein. He runs his own course at Rick Stein’s Cookery School, has fronted several TV shows and published his debut cookbook, Jack Stein's World on a Plate, in 2018.
• Olia Hercules: Ukrainian-born Olia lived in Cyprus before moving to the UK to study. After working as a reporter, her interest in food led her to retrain as a chef. She soon began to attract critical acclaim for her writing and cooking and has published two cookbooks, Mamushka and Kaukasis; her third, Summer Kitchens, is due out later this year. 
• Asma Khan: Having started her cooking career with a supper club at her home in Kensington, Asma opened a pop-up in Soho in 2015 to wide acclaim. Her restaurant, Darjeeling Express, opened its doors two years later and her debut cookbook, Asma’s Indian Kitchen, was published in 2018. Last year, Asma became the first British chef to feature in Netflix’s Chef’s Table.
• José Pizarro: Spanish chef and author José has three restaurants in London – José, Pizarro and José Pizarro — and last year opened a fourth, The Swan Inn, in Surrey. He’s written five critically acclaimed Spanish cookbooks; his latest, Andalusia, was published in 2019.
• Glen Mutel, editor of National Geographic Traveller Food, said: “Given that the festival is a celebration of the intertwined worlds of travel and food, it’s great to have personalities like Olia, Asma, José and Jack already on board — all fantastic professionals, but each with their own unique outlook, approach and speciality. What’s more, this is just the start; we’ve plenty more to announce over the coming months, from additional big names to exciting new festival features.”

In the exhibition hall, culinary experiences for visitors will include everything from food and drink sampling to cooking tutorials. Elsewhere, the festival will feature masterclasses and international experiences with destinations such as Georgia, Greece and Wales.

Speakers’ Corner, an intimate lounge venue, will see cookbook authors and food writers discuss their culinary passions and latest publications. The 2020 lineup will be announced later in the year. 

When: 18-19 July 2020.
Where: Business Design Centre, Islington

Tickets: Early-bird rate of £10 available until 31 March. Includes one-day entry to the festival, with access to all interviews, Q&As and panel sessions and chef demonstrations

For more information, visit the website
foodfestival.natgeotraveller.co.uk 

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For press tickets and information, please contact:
Angelique Mannan 

Notes:
National Geographic Traveller Food Festival,18-19 July at the Business Design Centre, London. Last year’s inaugural event attracted more than 5,500 attendees, with 45 exhibitors and 59 talks, demonstrations and masterclasses. The festival will support a major food charity and will aim for zero food waste. 

National Geographic Traveller Food is a quarterly, approximately 132-page magazine, and is brought to you by APL Media Limited, publisher of the award-winning National Geographic Traveller (UK).
nationalgeographic.co.uk/food-travel

National Geographic Traveller (UK) is published under licence by APL Media Limited, from National Geographic Partners LLC in Washington, D.C. The 180-page travel and lifestyle magazine launched in December 2010 and is packed full of you-are-there photography, authentic travel experiences and inspiring narratives. nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel

National Geographic Partners LLC (NGP), a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company and the National Geographic Society, is committed to bringing the world premium science, adventure and exploration content across an unrivalled portfolio of media assets. NGP combines the global National Geographic television channels (National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo WILD, Nat Geo MUNDO, Nat Geo PEOPLE) with National Geographic’s media and consumer-oriented assets, including National Geographic magazines; National Geographic studios; related digital and social media platforms; books; maps; children’s media; and ancillary activities that include travel, global experiences and events, archival sales, licensing and e-commerce businesses. Furthering knowledge and understanding of our world has been the core purpose of National Geographic for 131 years, and now we are committed to going deeper, pushing boundaries, going further for our consumers … and reaching millions of people around the world in 172 countries and 43 languages every month as we do it. NGP returns 27% of our proceeds to the nonprofit National Geographic Society to fund work in the areas of science, exploration, conservation and education. nationalgeographic.com

National Geographic Society is a leading non-profit that invests in bold people and transformative ideas in the fields of exploration, scientific research, storytelling and education. It supports educators to ensure that the next generation is armed with geographic knowledge and global understanding. National Geographic Society aspires to create a community of change, advancing key insights about the planet and probing some of the most pressing scientific questions of our time. Its goal is measurable impact: furthering exploration and educating people around the world to inspire solutions for the greater good. nationalgeographic.org

CONTACT:

For editorial enquiries:
editorial@natgeotraveller.co.uk
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7253 9906

Glen Mutel, editor, National Geographic Traveller Food
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7253 9906
glen.mutel@natgeotraveller.co.uk

Pat Riddell, editor, National Geographic Traveller (UK)
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7253 9906
pat.riddell@natgeotraveller.co.uk

Maria Pieri, editorial director
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7253 9906
maria.pieri@natgeotraveller.co.uk

Matthew Jackson, managing director
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7253 9909
matthew.jackson@natgeotraveller.co.uk

Anthony Leyens, CEO
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7253 9909
anthony.leyens@natgeotraveller.co.uk