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All the ingredients for a perfect day out

TASTE OF BATH

Royal Victoria Park is a favourite picnic spot in Bath but when it comes to al fresco dining, Taste of Bath ( 3rd - 6th July ) is the biggest and best gathering of the year. For the perfect day out, take 100 chefs cooking 60,000 signature dishes and performing over 70 demonstrations and serve up with 30,000 glasses of wine and champagne, more than 30 wine and champagne tutorials, combine with 120 exhibitors and 100 great performers and stage the event under the iconic Royal Crescent.

AN ALL STAR CAST

The line up of chefs appearing at Taste of Bath reads like a culinary who's who including Raymond Blanc; Antony Worrall Thompson; Bristolian, James Nathan winner of Master Chef 2008; Michael Caines (Gideligh Park); Tiffany Goodall; Martin Blunos; Martin Burge (Whatley Manor) and Mark Treasure (The Park). The restaurants taking part include Michelin starred chefs like Chris Horridge (the Bath Priory and BBC Great British Menu South-West winner), Hywel Jones (Lucknam Park) and rising star, Lee Evans (The Wheatsheaf). In the restaurants visitors are able to spend their Crowns on signature dishes served in tapas sized portions giving the perfect excuse to graze from one superb eaterie to the next. The Crowns are the special Taste Festivals currency to purchase food and drink, for example a taster portion at one of the restaurants will be from £3 to £5 or 6 to 10 Crowns.

LOOK, LISTEN AND LEARN - INTERACTIVE FEATURES - TASTE KITCHEN, AL FRESCO DINING WITH CALOR AND THE BERTINET KITCHEN

Berries, cheese and beef are on the menu at the Taste Kitchen with Sainsbury's which combines tasting as well as watching chefs work their magic. (Check when the demonstrations are planned at the event or beforehand on www.channel4.com/taste.)

Watch out for the schedule of demonstrations at Al Fresco Dining with Calor where our culinary heroes show off on the barbeque - or take the floor in a barbeque cook-off and walk away with the top prize of a Calor Gas barbeque. Chefs love to cook outside (maybe they spend too many hours in steamy kitchens) and they also enjoy having a chance to meet and talk to the people that enjoy their food so this is a great new addition for Taste of Bath 2008.

Find the delicious.magazine Producers' Market where the Bertinet Kitchen is based. Here you can join Richard Bertinet and a team of guest chefs for some hands-on cooking.

WHAT'S ON THE MENU - FLAVOURS THAT ARE OUT OF THIS WORLD

Strawberries, scallops and space dust are topping the bill. Chris Horridge (Bath Priory) and Chris Wicks (Bell's Diner) have both chosen an explosive topping for their desserts, space dust, a sizzle on the tongue to make their mousses even more sensational. New to Taste of Bath this year, Chris Beckingham (Hudson's Steakhouse Bar and Grill) is confident that his 28 day prime rib will be a big hit and the Angel at Heytesbury also has beef on the menu with aged steak and Bath Gem ale pie. Regional sourcing is a passion all the chefs share so expect the freshest of flavours with River Helford Rock Oysters from FishWorks, seared Cornish scallops on wilted spinach with home-made chilli jam from the Hole in the Wall and spearmint and white chocolate mousse with chocolate teardrop will be served with cheddar gorge strawberries from the chefs at the Dower House at the Royal Crescent (currently creating 2000 chocolate teardrops).

THIRST QUENCHING

If you are partial to Tequila then splash out £75 on a shot of the very best, Partida Elegante Tequila, which will be matched with Amedei chocolate by Harvey Nichols Bar Manager in the Cabot Circus Marquee.

Taste of Bath is a showcase for drinks as well as food. With guidance from wine expert, Colin Deane, find which French red, white, rose or sparkling wine is right for your palate and pocket, so be sure to book a tutorial with French Wines.

Celebrating its 25th birthday this year, Great Western Wine will be serving 26 hand crafted wines all selected to be the ideal match for the signature dishes from the restaurants at Taste. For the Olive Tree's pan fried organic salmon and Parma ham with basil croquette and red wine reduction, they recommend Monte Tondo Soave, Italy, an aromatic, dry white wine that is lush and full-bodied. A classic Italian wine that is just the right weight for this tasty Mediterranean fish dish.

Among the 120 exhibitors at the Festival are Wines of Chile, Wines of South Africa, the Jackson Estate Winery, Bordeaux Wines, Kenderman's Wines, Faustino Rioja and Badminton Wines. If your tipple is a refreshing beer or cider then visit Abbey Ales or the Cotleigh Brewery, launching their Fredrik's Swedish Pear and Fruits of the Forest Ciders.

Local sourcing does not just apply to food and Wessex Water is on hand to encourage us to "turn on" tap water and avoid wasting resources.

RETAIL THERAPY

The ladies who lunch will be heartened to hear that the newly appointed chef for Harvey Nichols Second Floor Restaurant and Bar in Bristol, Louise McCrimmon, will be making her debut at Taste of Bath. Watch her create gorgeous little canapés and sample delicious morsels like tuna sashimi with sesame, soy and mirin (you may well see Patsy and Edina in their element). Harvey Nichols is part of the exciting Cabot Circus development due to open in September which will also boast a Brasserie Blanc. Raymond Blanc will be at Taste of Bath on Saturday 5th July. Bath's own retail scene will be boosted with the completion of Milsom Place which will be showcasing the new look Moon and Sixpence and the flagship Jamie's Italian, opening in September.

Taste of Bath will have its own share of retail opportunities with fabulous artisan goods in the delicious.magazine Producers' Market. Here you will find Richard Bramble promoting his new "cook and serve" range of dishes; Chillipepperpete; the foremost supplier of exotic dried chillis in the UK with their best selling product, the world's hottest chilli, the Naga from Assam, India; and Cotswold Country Liqueurs selling refreshing flutes of 'Cotswold Kir's' using local British liqueurs such as blackberry, elderflower, raspberry or damson brandy in a fine dry sparkling wine and a 'Cotswold Fizz' with blackberry or elderflower liqueur with Gloucestershire apple juice in bubbly.

As you might expect tea is big in Bath and the Sherston Tea Company will be selling their exquisite teas like Morning Dew, African Miracle, China White Monkey, and Paradise. Where there is tea there are biscuits like Bon Maman with their crisp butter galettes that melt in the mouth.

Other exhibitors include The Purbeck Ice Cream team launching some exciting new flavours for 2008 including a Matcha Tsuki Green Tea Ice Cream and three new refreshing sorbets; pomegranate; quince and Bucks Fizz.

THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT

No need to invest in building a pyramid stage when you have a traditional bandstand at the centre of the festivities. This is no ordinary bandstand, built in 1900, Bath and North Somerset Council even won a Green Apple Award in the "Built Environment and Architectural Heritage" category for its restoration. The entertainment programme will add some spice with acts like Sheenlanagig, who play Eastern European dance music; the K'Chevere Quartet with an Afro Cuban salsa flavour and Stax of Soul a big band playing classics from the golden era of American soul music.

TICKETS SELLING FAST

Standard tickets are priced at £12 for entry only but connoisseurs can indulge in the top price ticket (£65 ) for a Connoisseur experience which includes a Laurent Perrier Champagne Masterclass, £15 of Crowns ( the special Taste Festivals currency ) and entry into the Connoisseur's Lounge with more tasting and guidance form Von Essen hotel sommeliers. In the Master Class you will learn which champagnes to drink with luxury foods like Duchy of Cornwall Rock Oysters and Brown and Forest Smoked Salmon.

Buy tickets in person from the Bath Tourist Information Centre next to the Abbey or visit www.channel4.com/taste or call the hotline on 0871 230 5581.

Tickets are selling like hot cakes so buy yours now:

Standard: £12 (entry only)

Premium: £25 (entry plus £15 worth of Crowns - the Taste
currency)

VIP: £40 (entry plus £15 worth of Crowns plus a
glass of champagne and access to the VIP area - numbers of these tickets
have to be limited for each session)

Connoisseurs: £65 (exclusive entry into the Laurent Perrier
Champagne Masterclass; £15 worth of crowns; entry into Connoisseurs Lounge
where wine sampling and sommeliers( - limited availability)

Childrens' tickets also available @ £8 (entry only)

Session times:

Thursday 3rd July 5.30pm - 9.30pm
Friday 4th July 12.00 - 4.00pm and 5.30 - 9.30pm
Saturday 5th July 12.00 - 4.00pm and 5.30 - 9.30pm
Sunday 6th July 12.00 - 5.00pm

- ENDS -
Notes to Editors:
For further information or images to illustrate this information, please contact Lucy Weaver at Bath Tourism Plus on 01225 477441 or email: lucy_weaver@bathtourism.co.uk.

Bath Tourism Plus
Working with the public and private sectors, Bath's destination marketing organisation, Bath Tourism Plus, takes full responsibility for co-ordinating the work of a busy tourist information centre, the marketing of Bath and the surrounding area to leisure and business travellers, PR activity to attract the nation's top travel writers, a conference office, and development of Bath's official destination website www.visitbath.co.uk

For more information about the services that Bath Tourism Plus offers to meetings, conference and incentive travel businesses, see www.bathconference.co.uk

Travel to Bath
Bath is easy to access from all over the UK and the world.

High speed, direct train services operated by First Great Western link Bath Spa train station to London and its major airports. Bath Spa train station is well situated, just 5 minutes level walk into the city centre's main shopping and tourist areas. See: www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk

Bristol International Airport is just 15 miles from Bath and operates direct flights from New York and Orlando in the USA, as well as most major European and UK airports. An express bus service to Bristol Temple Meads train station operates throughout the day, and Bath is just a 20 minute train journey from there. See: www.bristolairport.co.uk

Bath is also easy to access by car, from junction 18 of the M4 motorway which links Bath to Bristol, London and South Wales.

There are three Park & Ride services on the outskirts of the city which operate fast, frequent services into the city centre, offering a hassle free, cost effective way of reaching the city centre.