Bake Off star heads to Shrewsbury Food Festival

Shropshire Festivals has announced that Great British Bake Off finalist, Christiaan de Vries, will be joining the Shrewsbury Food Festival lineup this year. Christiaan impressed the Bake Off judges with his artistic bakes and creative flavour combinations during the 2024 series.

Shrewsbury Food Festival will take place on June 28th and 29th in the Quarry. Christiaan will join local top chefs leading demonstrations, with the rest of Shrewsbury’s park hosting all the usual foodie, family fun with two live entertainment stages, street food, bars, 200 food, drink and home stalls, and free kids rides and activities.

Originally from the Netherlands and now based in London, Christiaan’s baking style is all about making delicious creations easy to try at home, often with a surprising twist to keep things exciting. His background in fashion shines through in his intricate designs and elegant bakes. Now splitting his time between the UK and the Netherlands, he brings his love of baking to Dutch TV screens while sharing his latest recipes with a growing community on Instagram.

More big news for this year’s food festival is the extension of Saturday’s opening hours on June 28th, with the addition of a charity concert in aid of Shine On with Harvey Owen. From 6.30pm, the kids’ area, chef stages and exhibitor areas will close, leaving the live music stage rocking until 10pm, with the region’s best drink producers and street food businesses serving until last orders. The concert is included in the ticket price, alternatively, you can arrive from 4.30pm onwards for a reduced ticket charge.

Beth Heath, Director of Fun at Shropshire Festivals, said she is excited to see Shrewsbury Food Festival in a new format this year. “For the first time in Shrewsbury Food Festival’s 12-year history, we're open until the sun goes down. Join us for a day of foodie fun and an evening celebrating a wonderful local cause – get ready to party!

“We’re thrilled to welcome Christiaan de Vries to the lineup this year, who will complement our local talented chefs and bakers, like Tat Effby, Stuart Collins, and James Sherwin. Our demo stage provides plenty of inspiration and top tips across different cuisines and cooking styles.

“It’s not just chef demos, Shrewsbury Food Festival is jam-packed with free entertainment – a rocking live music stage, family performances on the bandstand, a field to fork interactive zone, and a family entertainment area will keep kids busy all day with free activities, circus skills and rides, offering excellent value for money.

“There’s something for everyone at Shrewsbury Food Festival, and there’s a reason why this event has been named ‘Festival of the Year’ in the West Midlands for the last two years running, so come along and see what all the fuss is about – you’re guaranteed a great time!”

The Charity Concert is being organised in memory of the teenage boys who tragically lost their lives in a crash in North Wales in November 2023. Profits from the concert will go towards the charity, Shine On with Harvey Owen, which aims to support pathways for young people to enjoy the arts, music and food.

Shrewsbury Food Festival is on June 28th and 29th in the Quarry.