Chance to Dine with the Stars in Preston

The Lancashire Market held at Easter this year

Love Food Love Preston, a campaign from the city’s Business Improvement District (BID), will showcase Preston’s best places to eat, and promote its growing food scene.

The month-long event launches on Saturday, July 30, with two headline events, the Lancashire Market and Dine with the Stars.

The Lancashire Market will take over Friargate from 10am to 5pm, promising the hustle and bustle of a street market focusing on artisan produce, street food, crafts and gifts.

That evening, the Love Food Love Preston campaign will begin by offering visitors at Preston’s restaurants the chance to Dine with the Stars.

The event began in 2014, and has seen television chefs and celebrities visit restaurants to have dinner with customers.

The names confirmed for this year’s event are the co-presenter of BBC1’s MasterChef, Gregg Wallace, and Emmerdale actor Danny Miller (Aaron Livesy).

Richard Simkin from the Guild Hall, operators of the new Villa Italian restaurant, said: “Love Food Love Preston is an important campaign for the hospitality sector, it creates excitement and gets people talking about the city’s outstanding food offer.

“Having the chance to have dinner with a celebrity is something quite extraordinary, many customers still talk about the event from last year, to this day.

“We are thrilled that Gregg, a renowned foodie will be coming to town this year, along with Danny, a very popular actor, to support the city’s restaurants and eateries”.

Mark Whittle of Preston BID said: “Preston city centre’s culinary offer is one to be proud of, there really is an abundance of quality, coupled with great service and value.

“Love Food Love Preston is a unique campaign to highlight our dining scene and share it with as many people as possible.

“We’re incredibly excited that one of the country’s most famous culinary characters is going to join us for Dine with the Stars, along which a hugely popular actor.

“We look forward to them visiting Preston and enjoying the city’s best places to eat.”

To be in with a chance of having dinner with Gregg Wallace or Danny Miller, people are encouraged to make a reservation at a city centre restaurant for the evening of July 30.