Former chef and ‘accidental’ food blogger Zena Leech-Calton is organising the first ever Epic Food Festival taking place in Norwich this Friday. Here, she explains what is on offer
What is your foodie background?
After catering college and working in hotels in Suffolk, I moved to London so I could work midweek days and enjoy my 20s. The most exciting job was head chef at Ealing Studios, in the days of Pride and Prejudice with Colin Firth; and the last few years I worked for Leiths (Prue’s company), and eventually went into management but cooking always pulled me back.
What led you to starting Love Norwich Food and what sort of things have you done to date?
I decided to start food and drink walking tours in Norwich to celebrate Norfolk produce and independents so I formed the website lovenorwichfood.co.uk to advertise both the walking tours and the cookery school (Lodge Farm Kitchen, which I ran for a decade until last year). Through that I joined social media and eventually became an accidental food blogger.
How has the Epic Food Festival come about what’s your involvement?
I got asked by Alix, follower and events organiser at Epic, to do something. I looked at the massive space and realised it would make an Epic Food festival.
What’s happening on the day? What sort of food will be on offer for people to try/buy?
I’ve got six street food trailers arriving to go around the first floor, including smashed patty burgers, Filipino dishes, The Cabin Tacos, Caribbean food and Rollin Embers, who will be making something on their smoker and serving it on flat breads. Plus, there will be Amor Waffles and soft serve. As well as their usual menu, they will all be offering a £5 taster dish so people can try multiple dishes.
It’s also supporting Break Charity?
Yes, I’m happy to help organise events but I love a charity on board so we can give back. Break Charity will be running the café downstairs, which has been recently renovated and is a stunning space. There will also be a Norfolk farm shop down there run by Bare Food Deli. Plus, there will be 12 local Norfolk suppliers upstairs, including Dollies Bakery, And Eat It cookies, jams and chutneys, chilli sauces and artisan crumpets.
How can people find out more?
Go to the Epic website to find out more and buy tickets. It is family friendly so kids are free and there will be children activities. There will also be a cookery stage built by Schmidt kitchens who have made a mobile 2.4 m space with built in oven, hob, microwave and sink. I’ll be hosting demos by Jimmy from Xo Kitchen, along with Geoff from Last Pub Standing, doing Caribbean, and Jaki from Papaya Verte doing Vietnamese rice and sizzling pancakes. I’ll be doing a ready steady cook session with Scott from Schmidt in our first slot. Plus, there will be 55 goodie bags which we will randomly give away to ticket holders. Oh, and there will also be a chilli challenge with a foodie prize, run by Chili Willy’s!
The Epic Food Festival takes place on Friday March 29, from 12-6pm. Visit Epic Studios Events.
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