Sandringham Celebrity Chefs

John Torode MBE
(Saturday)

John Torode is best known for be being tv presenter and judge on BBC MasterChef.

He first appeared on ITV’s This Morning before hosting MasterChef from 2005 – 2025.

John is a celebrity chef from Australia and has wrote a number of cookery books, owned restaurants and appeared various tv programmes including recently with his wife Lisa Faulkner.

His vast knowledge of food and great personality make him a favourite at food festivals and this will be his second visit to the Sandringham Food Festival. His last time being in 2016.

We look forward to seeing him once again!

Cherish Finden
(Sunday)

Cherish Finden is a highly decorated pastry chef, best known for her role as a formidable judge on Channel 4’s Bake Off: The Professionals. Cherish’s style of patisserie marries food with art

With over 25 years of international experience, Cherish has earned a plethora of awards over the course of her career. Most notably, she won the prestigious Top London Afternoon Tea Award at Tea Guild Awards, as well as Pastry Chef of the Year at the Craft Guild of Chefs Awards. In her earlier years, Cherish led the Singapore pastry team to win the 2000 IKA Culinary Olympics. In 2015, she received the Macallan Lifetime Achievement.

Galton Blackiston
(Monday)

Galton has held a Michelin star for over 20 years and became UK Craft Guild of Chefs ‘Chef of the year’, East Anglian Chef of the Year and fellow of the craft guild of chefs.

Galton has appeared on Anglia Television, Gary Rhodes Food Heros, Market Kitchen, Great British Menu and is a regular on Saturday Kitchen with James Martin (BBC) where he’s always promoting seasonal and Norfolk produce. Galton will always tell people that there is “No finer area” than Norfolk.

Galton has been a favourite at the Sandringham Food and Drink Festival.

Jenny Stringer
(Sat / Sun / Mon)

After completing her training at Leiths School of Food and Wine, Jenny was one of HM King Charles’ private chefs, working at Sandringham, Highgrove, St James’ Palace and Birkhall, as well as stints on the Royal Yacht. She enjoyed cooking with the fabulous ingredients from the Royal estates including game from Sandringham, wild mushrooms from Balmoral and the vegetables and herbs from the Highgrove walled garden.

Jenny then returned to Leiths first as a teacher and then becoming School Principal. She is passionate about inspiring everyone to cook, whether as professional chefs, enthusiastic home cooks or reluctant beginners!

Cooking at home for a family with very mixed tastes and appetites, Jenny is used to having to adapt a recipe or swap ingredients to suit a fussy eater, and for numbers for supper to change at a moment’s notice. These days she enjoys cooking dishes that look and taste great, without taking all day to prepare.

Cherie Denham
(Sat / Sun / Mon)

known as The Irish Baker, delighting audiences with irresistible bakes and sweet inspiration.

When I was 18, I left Northern Ireland for London to follow my love of food. After some time working as a medical secretary and a counter girl in a French Delicatessen, I earned enough money to do a 3 month intermediate course at Leith’s School of Food and Wine. I travelled with my new skills and became a private cook and chalet girl before moving on to work for large catering companies in London and later starting up my own.

Starting a family, I moved from London to Hampshire. I had to fit my cooking in around our busy lives and I realised it was important to me to share an understanding of flavour combinations with local, seasonal ingredients. Time is often a luxury and so when feeding family and friends it’s great to have achievable yet impressive and approachable recipes up your sleeve. My recipes cater for all abilities and whether it’s preparing a cosy week night supper or a special get-together with friends, nothing is too difficult or time consuming as long as the prep has been done in advance.

Andrea Wallace

Andrea Wallace Growing up on a pedigree Charolais cattle farm in Louth Lincolnshire led to a love a food and local produce. My desiree is to get everybody cooking I originally trained at Leith’s School of Food and Wine successfully gaining a diploma in Food and Wine. Following my qualification, I worked in several of Leith’s different divisions gaining critical real life catering experience. Firstly, I was employed in their outside catering division, hosting events in large government houses, private functions and the famous Orient Express. After that successful appointment, I was then promoted to a restaurant based business division serving up to 1500 covers daily. This experience has given me a wide range of knowledge and practical experience to impart to students. Returning to Leith’s School of Food and Wine as a Senior Teacher, teaching year diploma courses, part time and specialist courses, I gained invaluable teaching and demonstrating experience. This role gave rise to media appearances both in TV and Radio, and at the Good Food Show. I am now a freelance cookery teacher and demonstrator, still teaching for Leith’s in their Academy Schools. You can also find me around the country at food festivals demonstrating at Food and country Festivals around the country.