Professional chef Jon Watts set to inspire at Bolton Food and Drink Festival 2024

Jon will share his remarkable journey from starting his culinary adventure at the age of 18, as part of the Duke of Edinburgh Award, while serving a six-and-a-half-year sentence in a young offenders institute, to becoming a professional chef.

Since his release, he has worked for Jamie Oliver and appeared on ITV’s This Morning live cooking stage.

Jon will make his Bolton Food and Drink Festival debut on Friday 23 August at 2pm at Central Library, where he will talk about his new cookbook ‘Speedy Weeknight Meals’, which includes delicious, quick and easy weeknight meals.

It follows the roaring success of his debut book ‘Watts Cooking’, which tells the inspiring story of how he transformed his life through food, whilst also helping others to find their love of cooking with delicious, quick and easy recipes.

Jon’s recipes are designed for cooks of all skill levels, featuring fun and accessible recipes that are perfect for any home kitchen.

Jon’s unique approach includes turning well-known classics into delightful meals and treats anyone can recreate.

Bolton Council’s Executive Cabinet Member for Culture, Cllr Nadeem Ayub, said:

“I am truly thrilled to have Jon as part of the festival, to share his inspirational story and use his expertise to encourage others to enhance their culinary skills.

“The Food and Drink festival never fails to offer a wide range of fabulous cuisines, special events and entertainment for everyone.

“With its success growing each year and a key part of the towns cultural offer, it’s a weekend not to be missed.”

Tickets to this free event will be available via Eventbrite from Sunday, 21 July.

This event will also include a book sale and an opportunity for attendees to have their copies of ‘Speedy Weeknight Meals’ signed by Jon himself.

This year’s festival will host four fantastic days of fun for the whole family from Friday 23 August – Monday 26 August.

The bank holiday weekend will be seasoned with free regional chef demos, children’s activities, live music and bars to artisan stalls, street entertainment and special events, including hilarious comedy dining experiences Faulty Towers and Sheer Luck Holmes.

You can keep up to date with all the latest information on this year’s festival via www.boltonfoodanddrinkfestival.com or by following on social media.

To find out more about Jon Watts visit https://chefjonwatts.com/about/