Meet our hosts and experts...
Get ready to kick off the festive season in the most inspiring and entertaining way possible! The Country Living Christmas Fairs 2023 have already lined up an incredible group of experts that will leave you feeling inspired and refreshed. From top-notch hosts to the best in the industry, this year’s event promises to be an unforgettable experience. So get ready to indulge in all the festive fun and take a peek below to see the incredible names already confirmed.
Self taught chef Marcus Bean’s passion for cooking drove him to win Iron Chef UK in 2010. Following his success on the show, Marcus has been a regular chef on ITV’s “This Morning”.
Marcus and his wife run the fabulous Brompton Cookery School situated in Shrewsbury, Shropshire. The school offers courses with Marcus and other chefs for all abilities, from Baking through to Foraging.
Adam Henson is the author of five books, including the Sunday Times bestseller Like Farmer, Like Son and the children’s book A Year on Adam’s Farm. Adam is perhaps the best-known farmer in the UK, presenting his own section on BBC’s Countryfile to millions of viewers each Sunday evening. His other television credits include presenting Lambing Live alongside Kate Humble, Secret Britain, Countryfile Summer Diaries, Big Wildlife Revival, Coast and Inside Out. He has a monthly column in Countryfile magazine, as their resident farmer, as well as the Cotswold Life magazine. As well as his writing and television work, Adam runs Cotswold Farm Park in Gloucestershire, which pioneers rare breed conservation.
Dr Louise Newson is a GP and Menopause Specialist and holds an Advanced Menopause Specialist certificate with Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare. She is passionate about increasing awareness and knowledge of the perimenopause and menopause, and campaigns for better menopause care for all women.
Medical career and the Newson Health Group
Dr Louise Newson studied medicine and pathology at The University of Manchester and graduated with First Class BSc (Hons) in Pathology in 1992 and MBChB with Honours in 1994. She pursued a career in hospital medicine before moving to specialise in General Practice and medical writing.
She is a member of the Royal College of Physicians (1998) and qualified as a member of the Royal College of General Practitioners with Distinction in 2000 (MRCGP) and was subsequently made a Fellow in 2016 (FRCGP). She is a Visiting Fellow at Murray Edwards College, Cambridge University.
In 2018 she found the Newson Health Group, which was established to be a centre of excellence providing evidence-based information, support and treatments to perimenopausal and menopausal women. The Newson Health Group funds cutting-edge menopause research and creates clinical-led education programmes for healthcare professionals. It provides free menopause resources and support to millions of people around the world, empowering and enabling women to have choice and control over their perimenopause and menopause treatment.
Sara Davies MBE is the youngest ever female investor to appear on BBC 1’s Dragon’s Den and is well-known as the founder and creative director of the global craft business, Crafter’s Companion. Launched while she was still at university, Crafter’s Companion is now a global business selling papercraft, art, needlecraft and stationary items across 40 countries with head offices in the US and UK. Sara lives with her husband and sons in Teeside. Craft Your Year with Sara Davies by Sara Davies is published in October, by Bantam.
Becky Wilkinson helps some of Britain’s best-loved TV chefs bring their dishes to our screens, as a home economist and stylist she has worked on some of the biggest cooking shows in the UK.
Becky has appeared on the Channel 4 program ‘Tried and Tasted – the Ultimate Shopping List’, joining food experts including Michel Roux Jr, Jay Rayner and Giles Coren to blind taste test some of the nation’s favourite dishes as well as the BBC’s ‘Eat Well For Less’ where she encouraged the nation to become more comfortable with using fish at home.
Victoria Onions works as a Home Economist and Private Chef. Trained in Paris and based in Warwickshire. For her, there is nothing more satisfying than seeing people brought together over a shared love for good food.
Introducing Renu, a food content creator renowned for her simple, speedy, budget-friendly vegetarian recipes. As a food waste blogger, she passionately shares valuable sustainability tips.
Sara Ward is the founder of Hen Corner, an urban smallholding nestled in West London. Complete with 22 hens, three colonies of honey bees, a fruitful kitchen garden and a micro bakery which is making up to 100 loaves of bread each Friday along with hundreds of sticky buns, cakes and savoury treats.
Whilst Sara and the family continue to expand their hands-on skills, they train and encourage others through their schools programme, writing, and series of courses that are run from Hen Corner throughout the year.
With a combined 20 years working with Artisan cheese and both lifelong cheese lovers, The Cheese Connection, a fully mobile cheese business was started by Luke and Alex in late 2022 with the aim to spread the word about the fantastic Artisan cheese made in this country and tell the stories of the amazing people who make them.
Steffi Stern feels passionate about crafting and is often heard saying that ‘there is no craft police’ encouraging people young and old to let their creativity flow and break out of crafting traditions.
Steffi, owner and head designer, is proud to run her all female business based in The Cotswolds. She has written three books on needle felting and is currently designing needle felt and stitch kits under license for with brands such as Aardman Animation, Me to You Tatty Teddy, The Official Flower Fairies and others.