This is a sponsored article on behalf of Eat & Drink Festival.
Eat & Drink Festival returns to Olympia London next week, bringing with it the capital's most exceptional culinary whizzes. Celebrity chefs like Aldo Zilli, Rosemary Shrager, Dean Edwards and Matt Tebbutt hardly need much of an introduction, but there's also some brilliant, lesser-known talent from the world of food that you won't want to miss. That's where we come in — allow us to introduce you to our top five highlights from this year's edition of London's ultimate foodie festival (psst, we've wrangled free tickets for you).
Tom Brown
Tom Brown opened his first restaurant, Cornerstone, to much fanfare in Hackney Wick last year. The Cornish chef has worked with industry greats like Rick Stein and Nathan Outlaw and comes to Eat & Drink Festival on Sunday 24 March to prepare his famous turbot on the bone with roast chicken butter sauce.
Dr Rupy Aujla
They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away and, while the old adage is a tad simplistic, there's no denying the medicinal benefits of eating well. Dr Rupy Aujla's first-hand experience of implementing lifestyle changes to treadt medical problems inspired the NHS GP to launch The Doctor's Kitchen — a project to inspire patients about the beauty of food and a holistic approach to health. See him cook up a storm on the Eat & Drink stage on Sunday 31 March.
Eric Lanlard
Got a sweet tooth? You won't want to miss Eric Lanlard's session on Eat & Drink stage on Thursday 4 April. The Master Pâtissier worked as Albert and Michel Roux's Head Pastry Chef before taking up the helm at Cake Boy, a café, cake emporium and cookery school based in south west London.
Alex Head
If you're looking for Easter culinary inspiration, Alex Head's got it covered. She's the founder of the Social Pantry, a catering company with an award-winning cafe on Battersea's Lavender Hill that hosts killer brunches and sell-out supper clubs. On Thursday 4 April, she whips up a seasonal feast using all-local produce.
Oliver Gladwin
Oliver Gladwin is the chef director of not one, not two, but three fabulous London eateries — Rabbit, of Chelsea; and his flagship restaurant The Shed, of Notting Hill. He's wowing visitors with his nose-to-tail approach to cooking on the final day of the festival, using fresh meat and foraged ingredients.
Hungry for more? From street food to masterclasses, there's plenty to get excited about at this year's Eat & Drink festival. And if you fancy yourself as a bit of booze boffin, you'll be pleased to know that a huge range of drinks experts will be in attendance, including BBC Saturday Kitchen’s Olly Smith and mixologists from All Star Lanes, Cahoots and Mr Fogg’s Gin Parlour. And guess what? Londonist readers get free tickets! Just enter the code LONDONIST at checkout to claim yours.
Eat & Drink Festival, 22 March-7 April 2019 at Olympia London. Click here, or enter the code LONDONIST at checkout to claim your free tickets.
