St Osyth Summer Sounds: Music & Food Festival has announced the chefs joining its hugely anticipated Chef Stage this summer, bringing some of the UK’s most exciting culinary talent to St Osyth Priory for a weekend of live demonstrations, brilliant conversation and seriously good food.
Returning on Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 July, the festival recently confirmed that it is now completely free to attend and secured for the next three years, cementing its place as Essex’s largest free music and food festival.
Leading the line-up is Amber Francis, recently crowned Great British Menu’s Champion of Champions 2025, whose rise has made her one of the most talked about chefs in the country. Her work with growers and producers makes her a natural fit for one of this year’s biggest themes, celebrating where food comes from through a real farm-to-fork approach.
Joining Amber is internationally renowned chef, cookbook author and television personality Tony Alberti, known to many as one half of The Alberti Twins, while Great British Bake Off 2024 star Andy Ryan heads to Essex following a huge rise in popularity since appearing on Channel 4’s hit series.
He’ll be joined by fellow Great British Bake Off favourite Christiaan de Vries, the Dutch-born menswear designer turned baker whose botanical creations and eye for detail made him a standout with viewers during his time on the show.
The wider Chef Stage programme also features Yui Miles, BBC MasterChef quarter-finalist and author of Thai Made Easy, Anurag Aggarwal, MasterChef finalist and author of Indian Made Easy, Hulya Erdal, chef and writer specialising in Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and African flavours, and Madeeha Qureshi, MasterChef finalist and food creator.
Hosting the Chef Stage across the weekend is TV chef Joe Hurd, known for his appearances on Saturday Kitchen and The Saturday Show.
Beyond the Chef Stage itself, festivalgoers can expect an eclectic street food offer throughout the weekend, with local traders and producers helping bring the festival’s food ethos to life, while Adam Windsor from Deer Park Kitchen will be serving up workshops and demonstrations at the Deer Park Stage.
Accessibility remains a huge priority, with British Sign Language interpretation available across the entire Chef Stage programme throughout both days, helping more people enjoy every demonstration and conversation.
Martin Collins, Founder & CEO at Arts Trust, says: “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. We wanted the Chef Stage to feel warm, welcoming and inspiring, whether you love cooking or just love eating.”
St Osyth Summer Sounds: Music & Food Festival takes place at St Osyth Priory, Essex, on Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 July 2026. Entry and parking is free, with one or two activities requiring a nominal fee to take part.
Further announcements, including music artists, family programming and large-scale installations, will be revealed soon.
Visit stosythsummersounds.co.uk for free tickets and further information
Follow @stosythsummersounds and @arts_trust
