Adam Handling MBE is our headline chef for Truro Food Festival 2026 – and this September will mark his very first appearance at the festival.

One of the UK’s best-known chefs, Adam is the Michelin-starred Chef Owner of the Adam Handling Collection, with a cooking philosophy built around exceptional British produce, seasonality, sustainability and a determination to tackle food waste.

His flagship London restaurant, Frog by Adam Handling, earned its Michelin Star in 2022, while his pub, The Loch & The Tyne, was awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2024. Closer to home, Adam has developed a strong connection with Cornwall through The Tartan Fox and Ugly Butterfly, which relocated to The Headland in Newquay in 2025 and was awarded a Michelin Star in 2026.

Across his restaurants, Adam’s approach starts with carefully sourced British ingredients. His cooking is creative and beautifully presented, but always led by the produce itself – finding different ways to make the most of each ingredient while reducing waste wherever possible.

Adam was appointed an MBE for services to Hospitality and International Trade in the 2024 New Year Honours. He’s also been an ambassador for the GREAT Britain and Northern Ireland campaign since 2022 and was selected to create one of the official recipes for the Coronation of King Charles III – his Strawberry and Ginger Trifle.

We’re incredibly proud to welcome Adam to Truro for the first time as our 2026 headline chef. With his growing roots in Cornwall, passion for British produce and approach to sustainable cooking, we couldn’t think of a better chef to take centre stage at this year’s festival.

Ben Prior is a chef with deep roots in West Cornwall’s food scene, now cooking in one of its most spectacular locations at Porthminster Beach Café in St Ives.
For almost a decade, Ben ran the much-loved Ben’s Cornish Kitchen in Marazion, building a reputation for ingredient-led cooking and earning recognition from the Michelin Guide along the way.
His journey eventually took him further west to St Ives and Porthminster Beach Café, where today he cooks alongside Mick Smith, continuing the story of a restaurant that has been part of Cornwall’s coastal food scene for decades.
And there can’t be many better places for a chef to cook. Sitting directly above Porthminster Beach, the kitchen has some of Cornwall’s best produce within easy reach – from seafood landed by local boats in St Ives harbour to ingredients grown in the restaurant’s own coastal kitchen garden and produce from the surrounding Cornish countryside.
Ben’s cooking makes the most of it, combining brilliant local ingredients with the Mediterranean and Asian influences that have become part of Porthminster’s distinctive style.
There’s another passion running alongside the food, too. Ben has a long-standing interest in wine and has travelled as far as South Africa’s Cape Winelands for collaborative dinners, bringing chefs, growers, food and wine together around the same table.
We’re looking forward to welcoming Ben Prior to the Chef’s Theatre at Truro Food Festival 2026, sharing the produce, ideas and flavours behind a career spent cooking here in West Cornwall.

A proud New Zealand Māori chef with more than three decades in professional kitchens, Matthew Burgess – better known as matblak – is all about food, fire and culture.

Matt began his career in Wellington before moving to London in 1998, where his journey has taken him through some of the capital’s best-known kitchens, including Soho House, Bluebird, Gordon Ramsay’s Maze Grill and Jamie Oliver’s Threadneedle Street. He later spent seven years with Caravan and Vardo Restaurants, helping grow the group across London as Group Executive Chef.

Today, Matt runs Kaiwhenua, his food consultancy – its name meaning ‘food from the land’ in Māori – developing recipes and menus for restaurants and hospitality groups across London. His cooking brings together his Māori heritage, years of experience and a serious love of cooking over live fire.

A Big Green Egg UK and OFYR ambassador, Matt has cooked and taught at festivals, supper clubs and masterclasses across the UK and beyond. He’s also the creator of Kai by matblak, his award-winning range of condiments and hot sauces, and is currently writing a cookbook memoir exploring a life shaped by food, fire and culture across two hemispheres.

2026 will see Matt take to the Truro Food Festival Chef’s Theatre stage for the very first time. He’s no stranger to Cornwall, having previously cooked at Rock Oyster Festival, and we can’t wait to welcome him to Truro.

Expect big flavours, live fire and plenty of personality, with Matt sharing some of the food, techniques and stories that have shaped his cooking along the way.

Ayesha Kalaji joins us at Truro Food Festival for the very first time in 2026, bringing her distinctive take on contemporary Middle Eastern cooking to the Chef’s Theatre.

Ayesha is the Executive Chef and Owner of Queen of Cups in Glastonbury, a contemporary Middle Eastern restaurant set inside a historic 17th-century coaching inn.

With roots in both North Wales and Jordan, Ayesha’s cooking brings together her heritage and the produce she finds around her. Locally sourced ingredients meet the flavours, techniques and influences of Middle Eastern food, resulting in cooking that feels deeply personal while always being led by seasonality and place.

Her work at Queen of Cups has earned widespread recognition. The restaurant has held a Michelin Bib Gourmand for three consecutive years, while Ayesha has been named among CODE Hospitality’s 100 Most Influential Women and recognised at the Be Inclusive Hospitality Awards.

More recently, she was named Best Chef at the Trencherman’s Awards, following a Best Newcomer win the previous year, as well as being voted Chef of the Year at the Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs.

We love chefs who bring their own story, culture and influences to the kitchen, while celebrating great ingredients from closer to home – and Ayesha does exactly that. We can’t wait to welcome her to Truro and introduce festival audiences to her cooking for the first time.

Chloe Knight is one of the familiar faces behind Canteen Cornwall and Woodfired Canteen – two names built around great food, shared tables and bringing people together.

Chloe joined Canteen in 2021 and has since become a key part of the team, leading its events with a combination of experience, energy and a very human approach to hospitality.

From large-scale events to everyday life at Canteen, Chloe’s philosophy is rooted in people. Fairness, honesty and not taking things too seriously are all part of the way she works, helping create the relaxed, welcoming atmosphere that has become such an important part of Canteen.

She’s also a familiar face in the café and very much part of the community that has grown around it – something that feels particularly at home with what Truro Food Festival is all about.

We’re looking forward to welcoming Chloe to the Chef’s Theatre at Truro Food Festival 2026, sharing a little of the food, personality and generous approach to hospitality behind Canteen Cornwall and Woodfired Canteen.

From Michelin-starred kitchens in Paris to more than two decades at the heart of Cornwall’s food scene, Stephane Delourme has built a career shaped by travel, great produce and a lifelong curiosity about food.

Growing up between Brittany and Paris, Stephane’s love of cooking began early, inspired in part by an uncle who travelled the world and returned home with new dishes and stories from his adventures.

At just 16, Stephane began his apprenticeship at two Michelin-starred Sully d’Auteuil before a career that would take him through acclaimed kitchens in Paris, London and Dublin – and even around the world aboard the QE2.

Eventually, Cornwall called. Stephane joined Rick Stein Restaurants and, just six months later, was promoted to Head Chef at The Seafood Restaurant in Padstow. He remained at the helm for more than 21 years before becoming Group Chef for Rick Stein Restaurants in 2019.

In 2023, Stephane began a new chapter with The Stephane Delourme Gastronomic Adventure, bringing his years of experience to private dining, pop-ups, festivals and consultancy projects across the UK and Europe.

For all the places his career has taken him, Cornwall is now very much home. Stephane has a huge passion for the fresh produce found here and the local growers, fishermen and suppliers behind it – something that continues to shape the way he cooks today.

We’re very happy to welcome Stephane to Truro Food Festival 2026, bringing a little French influence, a wealth of stories from a remarkable career and, at the heart of it all, a real love for Cornish produce.

Jackson ‘Jack’ Bristow is Head Chef at Nancarrow Farm, where cooking starts long before anything reaches the kitchen.

Jack’s journey into food began like many hospitality careers in Cornwall – washing dishes. Before long he was plating desserts, getting more involved in the kitchen and discovering that being a chef suited his hands-on approach to life.

He went on to join Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen apprenticeship programme, where he developed a real understanding of sourcing and produce, before later spending five years working with Paul Ainsworth at No.6 in Padstow. There he learned about precision, creativity and the attention to detail that goes into making great ingredients shine.

In 2015, Jack joined Nancarrow Farm – and found somewhere that would completely shape the way he cooks.

The ninth-generation, Soil Association-certified organic farm near Truro grows and rears much of what reaches Jack’s kitchen. The chefs work closely with the farming team, harvest herbs, leaves, fruit and vegetables from the gardens and cook with whole animals butchered on site. Gluts from the garden are pickled and preserved, menus change with what the farm provides, and even some of the charcoal used for cooking is produced from wood sourced on the farm and through conservation work with Cornwall Wildlife Trust.

At the heart of it is Nancarrow’s open, fully wood-fired courtyard kitchen, where fire becomes another ingredient alongside produce that might have travelled only a matter of metres before reaching the plate.

Jack’s approach is about respecting all the work that goes into producing food, keeping things simple and letting brilliant ingredients speak for themselves. We’re looking forward to bringing a little of Nancarrow Farm into the heart of Truro at this year’s Chef’s Theatre.

Neil Ridley is an award-winning professional drinks writer,
broadcaster, consultant, host and presenter with over 15 years of
food and drink industry experience.
He has been shortlisted four times as a ‘Communicator Of The
Year’ by the International Wine and Spirits Competition (IWSC) and
his first book, co-written with Joel Harrison, Distilled: A Guide To
The World’s Best Spirits (Octopus Publishing), was awarded ‘Best
Drinks Book’ in The Fortnum & Mason Food and Drink Awards. He is
also the author and co-author of a further 7 books on drinks,
cocktails and bar culture.
Neil is also an experienced and highly versatile TV host and
presenter, serving as a resident drinks expert on Channel 4 Sunday
Brunch. He also appeared on Saturday Kitchen and ITV This
Morning.

Cornish born and bred, Nick started cooking when he was fifteen years old, then trained under chef legends Keith Floyd and Jean Christophe Novelli. As a young chef, Nick headed the kitchens at The Headland Hotel, The Rosevine, and The Beach Hut at Watergate Bay. After a few years set aside to bring up his young daughter, Nick then after a chance-meeting took on the franchise at Lusty Glaze Beach, where he refined his coastal food styles further alongside teaching the students at Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen Foundation.

Returning to the south coast, Nick took up the reins at The Greenbank in Falmouth as Head Chef. Building the business back to former glories, Nick and the team re-opened the hotel’s below-decks pub, The Working Boat, and gained the coveted two AA rosettes which retain at the hotel. Handing the kitchen over to Bobby Southworth in 2018, Nick became Executive Chef of sister hotels The Greenbank, The Alverton, and The Penventon, and most recently the newly acquired Falmouth Hotel – with the group now sitting proudly under the banner of the Cornwall Hotel Collection.

Nick’s passions are still all things food alongside the outdoors – he’s a keen fisherman, golfer and walker (with his black Lab, Lyra). Nick is an advocate of the industry and for young upcoming chefs, often showcasing their talents at food festivals and demonstrations, and heading a strong apprenticeship scheme within the hotel group. Nick’s ethos is simple and refreshing – “stay honest, keep things simple and concentrate on what we do best.”

Nick Archer and Howard Sellers are the duo behind Bango Kitchen in Penryn – a canteen-style, pan-Asian inspired kitchen built around great produce, big flavours and a shared love of seriously good food.

Their story began long before Bango Kitchen found its permanent home. Nick, a trained chef with a degree in Marine Science, launched The Shellfish Pig with his wife Nikki in 2014, serving sustainably sourced Cornish seafood and local pork from street food pitches, festivals and events across Cornwall.

Meanwhile, Howard was making a name for himself around Falmouth with freshly rolled sushi, handmade dumplings and his sell-out Bango Banquet evenings.

It was food that eventually brought the two together. At Porthleven Food Festival, Howard got chatting to Nick over one of The Shellfish Pig’s famous Scallipops. Lunches at Howard’s pop-up followed, along with a few beers, a friendship and eventually the idea of joining forces.

In 2018, they did just that, transforming a 200-year-old former granite warehouse on Penryn’s Commercial Road into Bango Kitchen – a vibrant restaurant and event space overlooking the Penryn River.

Today, Bango is known for its sushi, ramen, bao buns and dumplings, with Nick and Howard sourcing as much as they can locally and bringing their own take on pan-Asian cooking to some brilliant Cornish ingredients. The Shellfish Pig continues alongside it, taking their food out to weddings, festivals and events.

We love the story behind Bango – two people from Cornwall’s food scene brought together through good food, friendship and a shared idea of what they wanted to create. We’re looking forward to welcoming Nick and Howard to the Chef’s Theatre at Truro Food Festival 2026.

Charlie Walters may be just 22, but he’s already making serious waves in the culinary world. Born and raised in Cornwall, Charlie started working in kitchens at 14—and never looked back. After sharpening his skills at top coastal restaurants like The Mariners in Rock and The Sardine Factory in Looe, he shot to national attention as a Finalist on MasterChef: The Professionals in 2023, impressing judges and viewers alike with his refined, produce-led cooking.

Now, in 2025, Charlie has taken the bold next step—opening his first solo venture, Narla in Fowey. The restaurant is a celebration of modern Cornish cuisine, showcasing Charlie’s signature style of thoughtful, seasonal small plates rooted in local ingredients. Creative, ambitious and proudly Cornish, Charlie is one to watch—and one you won’t want to miss at this year’s festival.

Jonny Mutch is the co-owner of Plonk’d in Wadebridge, the Spanish-inspired restaurant and bar he opened with his partner Jess in 2023.

Born from a shared love of great wine, simple food and the convivial atmosphere of Northern Spain’s pintxos bars, Plonk’d has quickly found its place in Cornwall’s food scene – known for its weekend brunches, low-intervention wine list and, above all, its relaxed and welcoming approach to eating and drinking.

Jonny has spent more than 20 years working in hospitality, including five years front of house at Prawn on the Lawn in Padstow before taking the leap and opening a place of his own.

While you’ll still find him on the floor during service, these days Jonny spends much of his time in the kitchen, developing dishes and working through new ideas with the team. His approach is refreshingly straightforward: keep it seasonal, keep it as local as possible and don’t overthink it.

At the heart of it all is food that Jonny and Jess genuinely want to eat themselves – big on flavour, carefully balanced and making the most of great produce. Whether it’s a new dish, cocktail or bottle for the wine list, there’s always something being played around with at Plonk’d.

We’re looking forward to bringing a little taste of Wadebridge – and perhaps a little Northern Spain – to the heart of Truro.

Tom’s career in cooking began after he discovered his passion while working part-time in a local pub, despite his initial focus on Business and Further Maths. He worked his way up through various kitchens, from large gastropubs to boutique hotels, and trained at The Driftwood Hotel in Portscatho under Michelin-starred chef Chris Eden. Embracing the community spirit of gastropubs, Tom took over The Rising Sun a decade ago, transforming it into a celebrated venue.

Under Tom’s leadership, The Rising Sun has earned numerous accolades, including Cornwall, South West, and Visit England Tourism Awards, Trencherman’s Awards, Taste of the West Best Dining Pub, and a spot in the Top 100 Gastropubs list. Tom’s approach to menu development emphasizes seasonality and local sourcing, reflecting a dynamic menu that evolves with nature. He values the relationships with local suppliers, integrating their expertise to create dishes that celebrate the best of Cornwall’s produce. Tom believes in the synergy of seasonal ingredients, stating, “What grows together goes together,” ensuring that The Rising Sun’s offerings are both fresh and innovative.

Nick Hemming is the award-winning chef and owner of The Heron Inn in Malpas, Cornwall. With over 35 years of culinary experience, Nick has a passion for fresh, locally sourced seafood, which is reflected in the gastropub’s menu that changes with the seasons. His dedication to quality and local produce has earned The Heron Inn numerous accolades, including the “Licensee of the Year” by the British Institute of Innkeeping in 2022. Nick and his wife Amanda have transformed The Heron Inn into a popular destination for both locals and visitors, known for its exemplary hospitality, stunning riverside views, and delicious, sustainably sourced dishes​

Charlotte Vincent is a highly acclaimed chef known for her dynamic and innovative approach to cooking. Starting her culinary journey in the British Army, Charlotte honed her skills working alongside the renowned chef Michael Caines at Gidleigh Park. After a decade away from the kitchen pursuing a career in science, she returned to the culinary world as the head chef at The Five Bells in Devon, where she quickly made a name for herself, earning the pub a spot in the UK’s Top 50 Gastropubs.

Charlotte’s cooking is deeply inspired by the local landscape, with a focus on using superb local ingredients. She is particularly passionate about creating vegan dishes, showcasing her versatility and creativity in the kitchen. Her talent has also led her to compete twice on the BBC’s Great British Menu, where she represented the South West region. Now, as the head chef at Colson’s in Exeter, Charlotte continues to push culinary boundaries, drawing inspiration from her surroundings and the vibrant food culture of the West Country​

Chef Andi Tuck

Head chef at the newly open The Harlyn Andi Tuck is a fire-led chef whose cooking is deeply inspired by the county’s coastline, fishing heritage and wild landscapes. Passionate about cooking over flame, he combines the finest Cornish seafood with bold, seasonal ingredients, letting smoke, char and simplicity do the talking.

Andi has built his reputation in some of Cornwall’s most respected kitchens and has appeared on Great British Menu, earning recognition for his ingredient-led approach and love of live-fire cooking. Whether grilling whole fish over oak, roasting shellfish in embers or creating dishes inspired by the day’s catch, his food celebrates the natural flavours of the sea and land.

Away from the kitchen he’s a new addition to hosting some of Cornwalls best food festivals, Andi is a keen surfer and forager, drawing inspiration from the Cornish coast that surrounds him. His cooking reflects the places he loves most—honest, adventurous and rooted in the landscape.

Ugo Massabo, the founder of The Cornish Italian, transitioned from a career in theatre to culinary entrepreneurship, inspired by his late father’s tiramisu recipe. Originally from Garbagnate Milanese, Italy, Ugo began his venture in 2018 by hand-making tiramisu in eco-friendly glass jars using high-quality Cornish and Italian ingredients. His tiramisu, branded as TiramisUGO, quickly garnered acclaim, winning awards such as the Gold Taste of the West and a One Star Great Taste award.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Ugo adapted by delivering Italian ready meals directly to customers’ doors, which helped his business thrive. He later expanded his offerings with The Cornish Italian Trattoria, a food truck providing authentic Italian street food across Cornwall. This venture led to the establishment of his first restaurant, bringing a touch of Italian culinary excellence to the heart of Cornwall​

Tunde Tejumola is the chef and creative force behind Suyaman, bringing the flavours, techniques and stories of Nigerian and West African cooking to Cornwall.

Suyaman began with intimate dinner gatherings before growing into pop-ups, supper clubs and festival kitchens across London and the South West. At the heart of it is Tunde’s Nigerian heritage and a desire to introduce more people to the spices, cooking techniques and food culture he grew up with.

Along the way, Tunde’s cooking has taken him to the likes of Soho House, Somerset House and Dover Street Market, while his work has twice seen him named a finalist in the African Food category at the Be Inclusive Hospitality Awards.

Now based in Falmouth, Tunde is bringing the next chapter of Suyaman to Cornwall. He’s already been busy making connections across the county – from cooking at Falmouth Food Festival and creating a garden BBQ at St Michael’s Resort to teaming up with Truro’s Tapyard and Twin Fin Rum for a Nigerian feast pairing bold West African flavours with Cornish rum.

Beyond the kitchen, Tunde has created his Suya Shaker, inspired by the distinctive spice blends of Nigerian street food, and continues to explore new ways of sharing the flavours and culture behind Suyaman.

For Tunde, food is about much more than what’s on the plate. It’s a way to share culture, bring people together and start conversations – something that feels right at home at Truro Food Festival.

We’re looking forward to welcoming Tunde to the Chef’s Theatre and sharing the flavours and stories of Suyaman with Truro.

Ollie Wyatt is Head Chef at The Alverton in Truro – a born-and-bred Cornish chef with a particular love for the produce that comes from our coast.

Ollie’s journey into hospitality started early. From helping out washing dishes, he quickly found himself drawn into the kitchen and, remarkably, was running a pastry section by the age of 14.

His career has since taken him through some familiar names in Cornish hospitality, including The Cove in Falmouth, the Pandora Inn and The Headland Hotel, before bringing him to The Alverton, where he now leads the kitchen as Head Chef.

Cornish produce sits firmly at the heart of Ollie’s cooking. Seafood was one of the first things he learned to work with and remains a particular passion, with locally caught fish and longstanding relationships with Cornish suppliers helping shape his menus. His philosophy is refreshingly straightforward: keep things simple, take away the fuss and let brilliant ingredients speak for themselves.

At The Alverton, that approach runs from the restaurant through to outdoor cooking and special events, with Ollie regularly getting out of the kitchen to cook over fire and share the experience with guests.

And this really is a Truro story. Ollie spends his working days cooking just up the hill from the festival, so we’re very happy to bring one of the city’s own chefs into the heart of Truro Food Festival and onto our Chef’s Theatre stage.

Millie Milliken is an award-winning drinks journalist, author and all-round spirits obsessive, joining us at Truro Food Festival 2026 to take us deep into the world of tequila.

With around 15 years spent writing about drinks and hospitality, Millie specialises in the stories, people and places behind what we pour into our glasses. Her work has appeared across publications including The Standard, Decanter, Club Oenologique and The World of Fine Spirits, taking her around the world exploring everything from whisky and cocktails to bars, pubs and the cultures that surround them.

In 2022, Millie was named IWSC Spirits Communicator of the Year as well as winning the Alan Lodge Young International Drinks Writer Award. She’s also Head of Content for the OurWhisky Foundation, a non-profit working to support women in the global whisky industry.

Her latest obsession is tequila. Millie’s first book, Tequila: A Tasting Course, takes readers from the history and culture of Mexico’s most famous spirit to the agave fields, different regions and producers that shape what eventually reaches the glass. Published in 2025, it went on to win Fortnum & Mason’s Debut Drinks Book of the Year 2026.

At Truro Food Festival, Millie will be joining fellow drinks writer Neil Ridley to share some of that knowledge – and, importantly, some tequila – with us in Truro.

Alfred Petty is the chef and owner behind Petty Fours, one of the newest additions to Truro’s independent food scene – and already a restaurant making its mark.

Tucked away on Old Bridge Street in the heart of the city, Petty Fours is Alfred’s deeply personal take on modern British dining, with menus that change with the Cornish seasons and combine carefully sourced ingredients with plenty of creativity, playfulness and a little theatre.

Alfred and his team bring experience from London restaurants, Michelin-starred kitchens and some much-loved Cornish establishments, but Petty Fours is very much their own. Even the name tells part of Alfred’s story: ‘Petty’ comes from the family name, while ‘Fours’ represents Alfred and his three brothers – as well as giving a nod to the petit fours that finish the meal.

That personal approach runs throughout the restaurant, with memories from Alfred’s childhood finding their way into both the space and his cooking. It’s a restaurant designed not just around what’s on the plate, but around the idea of food bringing people together and creating new memories.

And people are taking notice. Petty Fours was selected for the Michelin Guide in 2026, with Michelin praising Alfred’s ambitious, generous cooking and the care that goes into the restaurant.

For us, this one is particularly special. Alfred isn’t travelling far to join the Chef’s Theatre – Petty Fours is right here in Truro. We love being able to put one of the city’s own independent chefs centre stage and introduce even more people to what he’s creating just a few streets away.