Chefs on stage
CHEFS ON STAGE
At The Taste of East Anglia we don’t bring in ‘celebratory’ chefs to spend the day with us, instead we work with the very best chefs, bakers and butchers from our local area who are as proud as we are, to be showcasing their talent to a fantastic audience.
We always have a top quality Kitchen Theatre, fully equipped with the latest overhead monitors and top of the range headsets so you can sit and immerse yourself in food all day and of course the whole stage area is covered in a fantastic marquee so you are protected from the elements too!
Over the course of the day we had a line up of fantastic local chefs, butchers and bakers on stage and we are incredibly proud to be working with such super talented professionals once again.
We would also like to thank our kitchen theatre sponsors:
Burnt House Vineyard and Wine & Dine. They will be treating everyone to a special tasting session at midday.
Our 2026 Taste Of East Anglia STAGE LINE-UP
John Jackaman
John Jackaman
Founder and Managing Director of the Infusions Group which includes the ICE restaurant and Cook School in Bury St Edmunds, John Jackaman is the man behind the famous ICE Lunch Bar dining experience. John is a highly experienced and well respected chef, having worked in a string of prestigious restaurants including The Marriot Marble Arch and The Ritz before starting Infusions and creating the ICE brand. John will also be compering this year’s cookery theatre.
Lee Cooper
Lee Cooper
Lee Cooper is a British chef with over 20 years in professional kitchens, building a career through fine dining, banqueting, and kitchen leadership. Currently leading the kitchen at Hintlesham Hall, he is known for a modern British style rooted in seasonality, provenance, and a deep respect for ingredients. His cooking is guided by what’s available often pulled straight from the kitchen garden or sourced from trusted local producers across East Anglia. The focus is simple: bold flavour, clean execution, and food that makes sense on the plate.
James Carn
James Carn
James Carn, chef-owner at Lark in Bury St Edmunds. James previously worked at Michelin star Pea Porridge with Justin Sharp, and having since embarked on his own venture which opened just last February, Lark has become the only Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant in Suffolk as well as being included in the SquareMeal top 100 restaurants outside London, top 100 local Restaurants in the Good Food Guide and named as food critic Jay Rayner’s restaurant of the year. The first year of opening was topped off by James being given the ‘Chef to Watch’ award by the Good Food Guide. The style at Lark is modern European, served through a range of small plates designed to share.
Mike Warner
Mike Warner
Mike Warner - A Passion for Seafood Ltd is a leading UK seafood and fisheries consultant, connecting producer (fishermen) to the consumer 'net to plate,' via storytelling. Mike believes in reporting direct from the 'coal face' of the industry with integrity, authenticity and accuracy to emphasise best practice, environmental responsibility, high welfare, sustainability and traceability.
Michelle Gillot
Michelle Gillot
Michelle Gillott is one of the UK leading pastry chefs, during her career she has worked in such places as the prestigious Midsummer House Restaurant in Cambridge as Pastry Chef & Senior Sous chef for 8 1/2 years. Where her modern approach to patisserie helped the restaurant to achieve its 2nd Michelin star in 2005. Her interest in new techniques and modern cookery methods have lead her into current role as the UK Sosa Chef Consultant.
Alison Crouch & Ian Erridge
Alison Crouch & Ian Erridge
Alison Crouch is Co Founder of Wine and Dine has over 35 years experience working in food, teaching cookery, nutrition and food hygiene, running restaurants, broadcasting on TV and Radio. She has worked with Gordon Ramsay, Rosemary Shrager and Aldo Zilli and has written several cookery books, her latest being the acclaimed ‘The Four Seasons’ Her partner `in wine’ is Vino expert, Broadcaster and Author - Ian Erridge. He has over 25 years experience in the industry, has lived in Greece and Spain and will be on tour later this year talking about his book Wine; It’s All Greek To Me. Ian is also an enthusiastic advocate of English wine, especially from East Anglia.
Greig Young
Greig Young
Greig has worked in the culinary industry for nearly 20 years, beginning when he was as young as 15. Having trained in Scotland, Greig travelled to the other side of the globe to work in Australia and New Zealand. Despite his world travels, he's found home in Suffolk and has been settled here for 10 years. Greig joined The Bildeston Crown in 2024 and was “excited to revitalise it and work in such a successful business.” Greig crafts genuine and unpretentious dishes; he has brought the ‘estate-to-plate' ethos of The Crown to life; Greig was recently named a Suffolk Magazine Chef of the Year Finalist and was a Finalist in the Eat Game Chef of the Year, 2025.
Adam Spicer
Adam Spicer
Adam Spicer is the head chef at The Greyhound Inn in Pettistree, a historic grade II listed countryside inn celebrated for its seasonal, ingredient-led menu. His cooking is rooted in traditional English countryside cuisine, enhanced with subtle European influences. With a strong emphasis on Suffolk's local produce, Adam champions game and nose-to-tail cookery, creating thoughtful dishes that reflect the landscape and the larder of the region.