Meet the Chefs Cooking at Living North's Newcastle Christmas Fair
With such an array of talent, the chef demo kitchen is the place to be at our Christmas Fair
12pm
Stornoway Distillers Co.
After falling in love with the remote Hebridean Island after visiting for a holiday, Gez moved to the Isle of Lewis with his fiancé Nat in 2018. They make the most of the outdoor lifestyle that the island provides, and always knew they wanted to create a product that captured the spirit of the stunning landscapes around them. They landed on gin as the way to do this, and set about designing a recipe featuring wild island botanicals that they forage by hand. In just a couple of years since launching Landfall Gin, it’s gone from being a side-hustle to winning a gold medal in the World Gin Awards, and they’ve opened their own micro-distillery and gin school in the heart of Stornoway.
1pm
Alex Walker, Dobson & Parnell
Alex has almost 10 years of experience working across some of the North East’s best kitchens. A former North East Young Chef of the Year, he went on to reach the finals of National Young Chef of the Year, placing in the top 10 young chefs in the UK. After 10 years with 21 Hospitality Group, Alex took his first Head Chef role at SIX at the Baltic, where he achieved two AA Rosettes within six months. Alex’s cooking is simple, seasonal and ingredient-led with a focus on great produce, bold flavours and letting the ingredients do the talking.
11am
Ben Ellis, Pastry Chef & Chocolatier
Ben Ellis’s chocolate recipes have received attention worldwide for being the world's first truly inclusive, health-conscious chocolate – whilst maintaining exceptional taste. The ganache in Ben’s chocolates is made without eggs, butter, sugar, cream, oil, sweeteners, artificial or ultra processed ingredients, with flavours derived from fresh fruits and herbs. The resulting chocolate is delicious, but also calorie light and deeply nourishing, suitable for anyone with allergies, intolerances or health conditions related to food.
1pm
Angus Mason, Newcastle Cocktail Kitchen
Newcastle Cocktail Kitchen is the brainchild of Angus Mason, who has been behind the drinks lists of many reputable venues across the North East, including the Michelin-starred Solstice and House of Tides, Riley’s Fish Shack, and new openings such Soku at Assemble and Wyld. Angus cut his teeth in Ouseburn pubs and Heaton cafés before climbing the ranks in the Scottish restaurant scene. Landing the head bartender role at House of Tides provided the platform to achieve Top 100 Bartender status in the UK two years running in 2024 and 2025. The visibility from this helped land jobs as varied as being shipped down to London to run the bar for Northern legend Dave Myers’ memorial at Fortnum & Mason, and hosting a cocktail masterclass at reality TV superstar Charlotte Crosby’s Galentine’s event (seriously). Batching cocktails for bars and restaurants inevitably led to a range of bottled ready-to-drink cocktails which have been shipped all over the UK.
2pm
Lulu Chen, 35C Supper Club
Lulu is the chef and host behind 35C Supper Club, where she creates a unique dining experience through authentic Chinese cuisine, personal stories and the warmth of sharing a table. Her supper club has been featured on BBC Radio Newcastle and in Living North. Originally from Shandong, Lulu brings together traditional Northern Chinese flavours with influences from Anhui and Shanghai, creating dishes that introduce guests to flavours, ingredients and stories they may not have experienced before.
12pm
Paul Johnson, Lord Crewe Arms, Blanchland
Originally from Consett, Paul has been working as a chef for more than 20 years, learning his trade in some of the top hotels in the North East including Close House, Matfen Hall and Lumley Castle – in addition to working for a spell in Georgia, USA and for two-Michelin starred Nathan Outlaw in Cornwall. Paul joined the Lord Crewe Arms in 2023. Nestled in the honey-stone village of Blanchland, the Lord Crewe Arms is soaked in Northumberland soul. Using amazing local suppliers and produce from their own kitchen garden, they create menus to reflect the changing seasons.
2pm
Chris & Becca Green, Hummingbird Drinks
Hummingbird Drinks, based in Amble, are an award-winning ready-to-drink cocktail company. Having started their business four years ago as a pop-up cocktail bar, Chris and Becca have developed a range of ready-to-drink cocktails that are now stocked and sold across the UK. On top of their cocktails, they are the co-creators of Grounded, a new coffee liqueur that’s taking the UK by storm. Their demonstration will showcase cocktails made with Grounded, ingredients local to them, and some other surprises.
11am
David Quinn, Jesmond Dene House
With 22 years of experience in professional kitchens, David Quinn brings a wealth of culinary knowledge, passion and expertise to his role as Head Chef at Jesmond Dene House. His impressive career includes time at Michelin-starred, three AA Rosette restaurant Auberge du Lac, alongside three AA Rosette restaurant Judges in Yarm and Lythe Hill Hotel in Surrey. David has also held positions at Northumberland's Linden Hall and Doxford Hall, both awarded two AA Rosettes, before bringing his experience to Jesmond Dene House, home to the two-AA Rosette Fern Dining Room & Bar. Drawing on more than two decades of culinary experience, David is passionate about delivering memorable dining experiences, combining quality ingredients, refined cooking and attention to detail to create dishes that guests can savour and enjoy.
12pm
Ian Waller, Restaurant Pine
Originally from Saddleworth, Ian Waller began his culinary journey working in some of the finest hotels across the North West and Yorkshire. Ian’s passion for natural, sustainable food found its ideal setting at the Michelin-starred Forest Side, where he worked as sous chef under Kevin Tickle. It was here that Ian met future collaborators Vanessa Stoltz and Cal Byerley. When Kevin departed Forest Side in the summer of 2019, Ian stepped into the role of head chef. He later made the pilgrimage to Northumberland and met up with Cal and Siân Byerley to contribute to a shared vision: to create a restaurant shaped by a passionate team in an extraordinary setting, serving exceptional plates crafted from the finest locally-sourced, seasonal and natural ingredients. Restaurant Pine now holds both a Michelin star and a Michelin Green star and has become a must-visit destination for foodies. Earlier this year, Ian collected the Sustainability Excellence Award (small operator) at the Craft Guild of Chefs Awards 2026.
1pm
Cheryl Radwell, The Doxford Group
Cheryl Radwell leads the culinary direction across The Doxford Group’s award-winning hospitality venues, including The Tempus, Charlton Hall and Doxford Barns. With more than 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Scottish-born Cheryl has built her career in renowned kitchens across Scotland and the North of England, developing a passion for seasonal, locally-sourced ingredients and creating exceptional dining experiences. Under Cheryl’s culinary leadership, The Tempus has been featured in the Michelin Guide in both 2025 and 2026, recognising the quality of the dining experience and the dedication of the team. While inspiring and mentoring a talented kitchen team, Cheryl combines classical cooking techniques with contemporary flavours to showcase the very best of Northumberland’s produce.
2pm
Rhian Cradock, The Feathers Inn
Rhian Cradock has been proprietor and chef of The Feathers Inn, Hedley on the Hill for almost 20 years. Featured in the Good Food Guide 2026, you can expect a warm welcome at this centuries-old village local on the border of three counties. Northumbrian ales, log burners and seasonal, traditional meals (with a commitment to ethical sourcing) mean it’s not difficult to see why this place is so popular. The Good Food Guide 2025 listed The Feathers in its top 50 al fresco dining spots in the UK, and it was also described as the one place in Northumberland not to miss by Jamie Oliver.
