Beccles Food & Drink Festival Cookery Theatre 2026
What a line up of diverse demonstrations we have to entertain and educate our visitors on the Local Flavours Cookery Theatre, located this year in a similar position within New Market as in 2025.
The bespoke vehicle has been secured through generous contributions from Beccles Townlands Charity, Beccles Town Council and Fen Farm Dairy, to whom we are very grateful.
Details of the chefs and demonstrations for this year are listed below.
2026 Cookery Theatre Demonstration Schedule
TIME: 10:30 am
Dish: Norfolk Asparagus, Wild Garlic, Crispy egg, Gremolata
CHEF: – Billy Palmer – The Farmhouse Kitchen
TIME: 11:30 am
Dish: Sausage making and butchery Masterclass
CHEF: Scott Bunn – Bunn’s Butchers
TIME: 12:30 pm
Dish: Seared rosemary and garlic rump steak with a salad of asparagus, roasted beetroot, roasted tomatoes, toasted pecans, and spinach dressed with Yare Valley Oil lemon oil, with crispy smashed potatoes and a blue cheese dip on the side
CHEF: Samantha Mattocks – The Delicate Diner
TIME: 1:30 pm
Dish: Line caught wild Bass from Lowestoft, Norfolk Samphire and Wild Garlic, Sauce Vierge
CHEF: Jordan Caswell & Liam Aikman – The Ingham Swan
TIME: 2:30 pm
Dish: Patatas Bravas Empanada and Lemon Meringue Choux Bun
CHEF: Lydia Robertson and Lilla Read – Two Magpies Bakery
2026 Chef Bios
With 16 years of experience, Billy has worked in Michelin-starred restaurants and luxury hotels worldwide. His journey began at 13 as a kitchen porter, progressing to a 2 Rosette hotel. At 18, he honed his pastry skills at Australia’s Versace Hotel, then expanded his expertise in New Zealand. Back in England Billy Refined his skills working in Restaurants in London Before joining the Farmhouse Kitchen.
Scott started as a Saturday boy and worked his way up, spending 11 years of his career at award winning Archers Butchers in Norwich. He has owned Bunns Butchers in Beccles for 2 years and it is one of a few butchers in the region to sell only raw meat. Scott has developed a range of tasty sausages, now up to 14 different flavour combinations, including South African Boerwors. He is working on a collaborative new flavour which he plans to launch at the Festival.
Samantha, also known as The Delicate Diner, appeared on MasterChef in 2019. A firm favourite at cooking demos across the county, Samantha loves taking local produce and adding a Mediterranean and Middle Eastern influence to create something delicious. A passionate home cook, Samantha is also known for her literary skills, both in interviewing chefs and producers for The Delicate Diner and local magazines, and for authoring children’s books
Jordan’s inspiration was his dad, who was a chef and owned restaurants, so he grew up around kitchens. Jordan then served an apprenticeship at Lowestoft College, working across restaurants and hotels in Suffolk. He then moved to Norfolk, working in kitchens like the Wildebeest in Stoke Holy Cross, the Dial House at Reepham and Farmyard in Norwich. Today Jordan is driven and inspired by all the local produce available that he can showcase across the Ingham Swan’s menus. He is assisted by Chef de Partie Liam Aikman.
