Five minutes with... Richard Fox

The Nottingham Food & Drink Festival is set to return this week, tempting the taste buds of thousands of visitors. Acclaimed chef, broadcaster and writer Richard Fox has been unveiled as the host of the demonstration area at this year’s festival. Richard will host demonstrations from some of Nottingham’s finest chefs in the Market Square, as well as taking to the hob himself during the five-day event (4-8 July). Renowned for appearances on UKTV Food, Saturday Cooks on ITV and The Good Food Show on BBC Radio 4, Richard is also a consummate presenter with interview credits including Jamie Oliver, Heston Blumenthal and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. We caught up with Richard, to find out more about his expertise in beer and food... How did you come to be an expert on cooking with beer? I used to cater the VIP parties for a major international brewer, who was one of the first to launch artisan continental brews into the UK. They asked me to create some recipes to go with the beers, and having tasted I was convinced the fabulous tastes and flavours were a no-brainer as an ingredient as well as accompaniment. Do you have a favourite beer? My favourite beer is whatever I really fancy at the time! Have you ever been to Nottingham? If so, have you had any memorable beer experiences here? I've had some great memorable Nottingham beer experiences, unfortunately the memories are a little hazy! Only joking! I always have the local brew wherever I go, so Springhead always sticks in the mind, but there's a host of other great microbreweries in the area now so try them all! What can audiences expect from you at the Nottingham Food & Drink Festival? Hopefully the usual - tasty dishes, top tips, easy cooking and a feeling of wanting to rush home and cook up a little of what I've demoed. The Nottingham Food & Drink Festival takes place in Nottingham's Old Market Square 4 - 8 July.  http://www.nottsfoodanddrinkfestival.com/