THE 2013 Chester Food, Drink and Lifestyle Festival will open with the hugely popular cheese rolling Competition which will take place on Tuesday at 11am.
Thousands attended last year to see eight teams take part, all battling it out for the much sought after title.
Teams will be made up of four and participants are required to push cheese wheels around an obstacle course, consisting of hay bales, scarecrows and more, up and down Bridge Street in what has become a firm tradition within the city.
Rules are strict and judges will be looking to see if cheeses stay on the straight and narrow and within the course barriers.
Teams will be whittled down to a nail biting final in which two teams battle their way through to the finishing line.
Eight teams in total will make up this year’s competition including The Cheshire Cheese Company, last years champions, Chorlton Cheese, sponsors Allington Hughes Solicitors and NFU Mutual, as well as Dee 106.3 and Taste Cheshire.
All have been practising for weeks in the hope to become this year’s high rolling Big Cheese.
Festival organiser and Taste Cheshire CEO, Stephen Wundke, said: “The annual cheese rolling competition is a much loved event that has made its way to be among the most popular events in the city.
“We are hugely proud of this competition and couldn’t think of a better way to launch Chester Food, Drink and Lifestyle Festival.
“The competition unites the people of the city and shows to visitors that we are a city and county that is hugely proud of our food and producers, providing favourite foods for people throughout the world enjoy and love.”
Chester Food, Drink and Lifestyle Festival will be highlighted by the Taste Festival, which will take place at Chester Racecourse from 30th March 30–April 1.
With celebrity chef demonstrations, hundreds of food, drink and lifestyle stalls and kids cookery classes to keep them entertained.
Set on Chester Racecourse, there will be more than 150 food and drink stalls showcasing the very best produce the region has to offer.
“From award winning sausages and delicious home grown vegetables to tasty food to taste and eat, as well as a champagne tent, making this the festival for the truly appreciative pallet.
