Here you can see some of Britain’s top game chefs in action giving live cookery demonstrations.

It’s a place where cooking secrets will be shared and you’ll learn some new skills.

All the chefs are champions of game and wild, sustainable produce. You’ll be inspired with new recipes and ideas.

The BASC Wild Food Theatre, sponsored by Global Knives, also educates visitors on the provenance of food and sustainability with advice from chefs who shoot, fish, hunt and forage.

Global Knives

Designed and manufactured in Japan since 1985. Global Knives have the perfect combination of hard durable Chromova 18 steel, a unique design and an extremely sharp edge. Used by professional chefs and home cooks wanting the best kitchen tools, Global are an immensely popular brand known for their timeless design and priceless quality. Visitors can speak to the team and make a purchase on the Global Knives stand just outside the Kitchen Theatre.

MEET THE CHEFS THAT ATTENDED THE GAME FAIR 2025

CAPI AP BRYN

Cai ap Bryn is one of the UK’s leading outdoor cooking and wild food specialists, known for combining live-fire cooking with a passion for sustainable field-to-fork food. As the founder of Game and Flames, Cai has built a reputation for bringing wild game into modern cooking through bold flavours, approachable techniques, and engaging demonstrations.

Raised with a strong connection to the countryside, Cai’s cooking style reflects both traditional hunting culture and contemporary outdoor cuisine. His work champions the ethical use of wild British game, encouraging people to see venison, partridge, pheasant, and other quarry as outstanding, sustainable ingredients that deserve a place in everyday cooking.

CALLUM LESLIE

Callum Leslie is Executive Chef of Michelin-starred The Black Swan at Oldstead and The Abbey Inn, Byland, overseeing Tommy Banks’ flagship restaurants. Starting his career as a kitchen porter, Callum has built an impressive culinary résumé that includes experience at The Box Tree, Midsummer House, Marcus Wareing, and Restaurant Sat Bains, contributing to a collective eight Michelin stars.

After joining The Black Swan in 2019 as Junior Sous Chef, he quickly progressed to Head Chef in 2021 before being appointed Executive Chef in 2024. In 2025, Callum reached the national finals of BBC Two’s Great British Menu, winning the North East & Yorkshire regional heat and cementing his reputation as one of the UK’s rising culinary stars.

CHRIS MARNEY 

Game for Anything showcases some of the finest locally sourced game and ingredients in the South West. Chris wants to share his passion for cooking with this fabulous resource we have all around us in the Great British countryside.

Making Game more popular as a menu choice and to dispel those pre-conceptions about ‘strong’ or ‘gamey’ flavours.

Cooking at a number of pop up events where Game has been the main event over the last few years, this has given Chris the drive to push this further and he is just about to launch regular Game For Anything nights in the Cotswolds along with a cookery school – gameforanything.co.uk

EVA HUMPHRIES

Eva Humphries MSc, DipION, mBANT, CNHC is a clinical nutritionist, cookery demonstrator and speaker who makes eating well feel refreshingly doable. With over ten years of experience across clinical practice, media and live events, Eva is known for using storytelling, humour and clear thinking to turn nutrition science into advice we can actually put into action.

A firm sceptic of food fads and nutritional nonsense, Eva champions whole, flavour-packed food that works in real life.Her cookery demos blend practical cooking tips with smart nutrition know-how, while her talks offer clear, science-led insights that are empowering instead of overwhelming. Expect learning and plenty of “oh, that actually makes sense” moments.

Outside of festivals, Eva runs a successful nutrition clinic and regularly contributes expert commentary to national publications including The Telegraph, The Times and Women’s Health.

JOSE SOUTO 

José Souto is an award-winning Senior Chef Lecturer in Culinary Arts at Westminster Kingsway College, Fellow of the Craft Guild of Chefs, and one of the UK’s leading authorities on game, venison, and sustainable food sourcing. With over 35 years of culinary experience, including 11 years at the House of Commons, José has dedicated much of his career to educating future chefs on provenance, sustainability, and ethical food production.

A respected industry ambassador, author, and consultant, José has worked with organisations including BASC, Highland Game, Foods from Spain, Alaska Seafood, and Seafish. He is the author of the acclaimed books Venison: The Game Larder and Feathers: The Game Larder, and has helped educate more than 6,000 chefs through his renowned game seminars. In 2022, he was named Craft Guild of Chefs Chef Lecturer of the Year.

Mark Lloyd

Mark Lloyd is the founder of 8 Plates, Nottingham’s acclaimed eight-course pop-up dining experience, renowned for its innovative take on British cuisine. With more than 25 years of international culinary experience, Mark has worked across Michelin-starred restaurants, luxury hotels, and high-profile hospitality brands, building a reputation for championing sustainable, seasonal British produce.

Raised in rural Northumberland, Mark’s passion for food was shaped by fishing, foraging, and country pursuits, influences that remain central to his cooking today. His career highlights include becoming the first Head Chef at River Cottage Axminster, serving as Executive Chef for Miele, competing in Jamie Oliver’s Chef Race, and working alongside three-Michelin-starred chef Björn Frantzén in Stockholm.

MARK KEMPSON 

Mark Kempson is Chef Patron of the Michelin-starred Kitchen W8 in Kensington, where he has led the kitchen since its opening in 2009. Raised in Hampshire, Mark developed his passion for cooking at an early age before honing his skills at renowned establishments including Pennyhill Park, The Vineyard at Stockcross, and The Square under Phil Howard.

A key member of the team that earned The Vineyard its second Michelin star, Mark went on to become Head Chef at Kitchen W8, guiding the restaurant to its own Michelin star in 2011. Known for his modern British cuisine with French influences, he focuses on exceptional seasonal ingredients, simplicity, and hospitality, creating memorable dining experiences for guests in one of London’s most respected neighbourhood restaurants.

RACHEL GREEN

Chef. Farmer’s Daughter. Champion of British Food. Rachel Green isn’t just an award-winning chef – she’s the real deal. Raised on a Lincolnshire farm that’s been in her family for 14 generations, Rachel’s connection to food runs deep. Her childhood was a mix of kitchen experiments, lambing ewes, skinning deer, and learning the magic of great ingredients straight from the land.

A passionate campaigner for local produce and game meat, Rachel has fronted national food campaigns, written bestselling cookbooks, and hosted four TV series. She recently appeared on tv with Rick Stein and John Craven, showcasing the best Lincolnshire has to offer. She’s known for her bold flavours, proper no-fuss cooking, and deep respect for where food comes from.