Preparations are well under way for Bolton’s seventh Food and Drink Festival.

Work has started on transforming Victoria Square, Oxford Street and Deansgate, ready for the festival launch on Friday, August 24.

The four-day feast takes place over the Bank Holiday weekend (Aug 24 to 27) and will include celebrity chef demos, free cookery demos by local chefs and around 80 market stalls selling food and drink from around the world.

The festival will be launched by two Michelin starred chef Michael Caines and will feature a Gala Dinner on Friday evening, attended by artisan baker Paul Hollywood.

Paul Hollywood will be joined by fellow baker Mary Berry for demos on Saturday, while Jean-Christophe Novelli will take to the stage on Sunday. On Monday, James Martin will entertain the crowds as a firm festival favourite.

This year will see even more local chefs doing free cookery demos at Bolton Market, on Ashburner Street, and in the Market Place Shopping Centre. Headliners include Anjali Pathak, Andrew Nutter, Norman Musa and Robert Owen Brown.

A new addition to the festival line-up is a beer and cider festival by Kro bar, and a Gourmet Kitchen area on Victoria Square which will include street food from The Hungry Gecko, Harvey Nichols and Ginger’s Comfort Emporium to name but a few.

Each day will see a range of free entertainment, including jazz bands, children’s entertainers and comedy acts.

There are also a number of events taking place throughout the town, organised by individual businesses but linked to the festival. These include special offers at local restaurants, theme nights and tasting menus.

The Leader of Bolton Council, Councillor Cliff Morris, said: “With just days to go until our seventh food and drink festival, the excitement is building in Bolton. The marquee has been built on Victoria Square and the market stalls will start to take shape during the rest of the week.

“Each year the festival gets bigger and better and the weekend is now well-established on the foodie calendar. If anyone hasn’t made plans for the Bank Holiday yet, then I would recommend a visit to Bolton Food and Drink Festival.”