Celebrity chef John Torode has kicked-off a star-studded Exeter food show in style today with a meaty demonstration in front of crowds from far and wide.
The MasterChef judge was among an impressive collection of culinary names to appear at the Big Food Show at Westpoint.
Hundreds of people turned-out for the opening day of the three-day celebration of the best food and drink in the Westcountry.
The Australian-born Tarode, 49, entertained a large crowd this morning as he cooked grilled steak with horseradish cream doughnuts.
He said: "People think cooking is really difficult. But you can get really good results without doing much at all. I want you all to go home and cook things."
Among other famous names at the event are big baker Glen Cosby, The Hairy Bikers and MasterChef winner Ping Combes.
The inaugural event is the brainchild of Exeter mums Kim Vernon and Mel Edwards who organised the highly successful Big Cake Show earlier this year that featured Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood.
Ms Vernon said: "We're both from Exeter and were disappointed to have to travel long distances to enjoy shows similar in size or format to The Big Food Show. "We felt regional producers and food lovers often missed out due to the high costs associated with travelling and exhibiting at celebrity shows in London.
"We've taken some of the glitz from the city, stirred in our regional flavour and created a truly unique blend of entertainment, education and fun for all baking and food lovers."
People travelled from across the region to attend the show – and many were full of praise.
Tracy Stephens, 52, from Truro, said: "It's a fantastic event. We came here for my mum's birthday, and we'll come away with lots of useful tips and ideas about how to cook beef properly."
Matt and Emma Pearce, 31 and 32, from Taunton, said: "We wanted to give the event a go, as it sounded so good. The food demonstrations are brilliant, and there's so much else here to see."
But some people were critical of the event, which started 20 minutes late.
Tim and Tracy Knee, 39 and 38, from Exeter, said: "Having paid £14 each to go, we're are quite disappointed – especially as we had to wait to get in. It's not as big as we expected, and there's a lot of empty space."
