Rugby food blogger will take to the stage nation’s top chefs at festival created by Chris Evans

A Rugby blogger will be taking to the stage with some of the nation’s top chefs at the UK’s largest family fundraising festival created by radio king Chris Evans.

Food writer Ellen Manning, who writes award-winning local food blog Eat with Ellen, will be hosting the ‘Cook’s Companion’ stage at CarFest, which takes place at Laverstoke Park Farm, Hampshire, from August 25-27.

The 40-year-old journalist and blogger will host some of the biggest names in the food world including Michelin-starred chefs Atul Kochhar and Michael Caines, as well as the Midlands’ own ‘Yummy Brummie’ Glynn Purnell, as they take audience members through new food skills from jointing a chicken to cooking the perfect steak.

Ellen has previously hosted stages at major events in the region, including Coventry Food festival and Tom Kerridge’s Pub in the Park, which took place in Leamington earlier this summer. She also helped found the Foodie Awards Coventry and Warwickshire, and acted as a judge for the awards in 2022.

The food-lover also runs PR consultancy EMPR, working with a range of local organisations and businesses including Warwick Chamber of Trade, Visit Coventry, Empress Ale and Libertine Burger, who will also be heading to CarFest to serve up their award-winning burgers.

Ellen said: “I’ve had a ball being involved in some amazing local events in Coventry and Warwickshire, and now to be involved in such a huge national festival for a great cause is a real pinch-me moment. I can’t wait - and hopefully I’ll bump into some fellow food fans from Warwickshire down there."