A major music and food festival has announced a top chef line up for this summer.
St Osyth Summer Sounds: Music & Food Festival will welcome some of the UK’s top culinary talent to its Chef Stage this July, with live demonstrations, workshops and more.
Taking place at St Osyth Priory in Essex on July 18 and 19, the festival was recently confirmed as a free event for 2026 and will continue for the next three years.
Amber Francis, the BBC's Great British Menu’s Champion of Champions 2025, will headline the Chef Stage, joined by internationally known chef and cookbook author Tony Alberti of The Alberti Twins.
Amber Francis’ focus on working with growers and producers will tie into one of this year’s central themes, celebrating food origins through a farm-to-fork approach.
Joining them will be Great British Bake Off 2024 contestant Andy Ryan and fellow Bake Off favourite Christiaan de Vries, known for his botanical bakes.
The line-up also includes Yui Miles, a BBC MasterChef quarter-finalist and author of Thai Made Easy; Anurag Aggarwal, a MasterChef finalist and author of Indian Made Easy; Mediterranean chef and writer Hulya Erdal; and food creator Madeeha Qureshi.
Martin Collins, founder and CEO at Arts Trust, said: "Food is a massive part of what makes this festival special because it brings people together so naturally.
"This line-up has some brilliant names, but they’re also people who care deeply about ingredients, community and sharing what they know.
"That feels right for St Osyth Summer Sounds."
He said: "We wanted the Chef Stage to feel warm, welcoming and inspiring, whether you love cooking or just love eating."
TV chef Joe Hurd, known for appearances on Saturday Kitchen and The Saturday Show, will host the Chef Stage across the weekend.
The festival also promises a vibrant street food scene featuring local traders and producers, along with hands-on workshops.
Adam Windsor of Deer Park Kitchen will lead additional demonstrations and workshops at the Deer Park Stage.
Accessibility is a key focus for organisers this year.
British Sign Language interpretation will be provided for all Chef Stage events to ensure everyone can enjoy the demonstrations and discussions.
The festival will reveal more announcements soon, including the music line-up, family activities and large-scale installations.
Organisers say the weekend will offer something for everyone from food lovers and families to fans of live entertainment.
Entry and parking is free, with one or two activities requiring a nominal fee.
More information and free ticket registration are available at stosythsummersounds.co.uk.
