Local entrepreneur and foodie champion Bianca Rodrigues-Perry will be shining a spotlight on some of the best independent street food chefs when she hosts Warwick’s first Pursuits Festival this weekend.

Bianca, who fronts Bia’s Kitchen Show, will be taste testing many of the culinary offerings from her festival stage as well as hosting two exclusive competitions for visitors to get involved in.

There are fun prizes up for grabs in Bia’s Bake-off Competition for children, on Saturday. Youngsters are being offered the chance to bring their own home-made cakes to be judged by professional make caker Sophie Page from Coventry. While the adults will be treated to a series of cocktail making demos throughout Sunday courtesy of That Gin Company, based in Warwick, and Warwickshire Gin Company, based in Leamington.

Warwick Pursuits Festival is a two-day community event celebrating music, art and culture, with an array of activities for families to enjoy for free. Its arrival in Warwick follows Stratford’s successful event held in May, which attracted thousands of people across two days. 

Bia’s Kitchen Show highlights some of the best of the independent foodie scene when it is streamed to audiences twice monthly on YouTube, Spotify, Instagram and Facebook. It is an extension to the successful Bia’s Kitchen brand and features local independent chefs and restaurateurs cooking signature dishes as well as Bianca’s own top tips and recipes. 

Bianca said: “I am incredibly excited to be involved in this fabulous new event which shares my same values of supporting independent food and drink businesses. I’m looking forward to playing my part in championing some of these businesses by introducing their stories and flavours to the festival-goers. Behind every successful small business is a story of passion and dedication that I look forward to sharing, whilst having a lot of fun along the way with some competitions and giveaways.”

Stepping into the Bia’s Kitchen Show spotlight at this weekend’s festival will be Bongo Bunee Chow, Dough & Brew, Mister V Street Food, Redfern Kitchen, Sunkanya ThaiFood, Shakespeare Spit Roast, The Magic Kingdom and Dough Ay’ We.

The festival will focus on History & Literature, Music & Dance, Theatre & Art, and Sports & Wellbeing, with free activities showcasing much of Warwick history, culture and community. Alongside family-friendly activities, there will be art installations, interactive experiences, workshops, live music from local acts and great food and drink. 

Mixing it up away from his bar throughout Sunday, That Gin Company’s Steve Bazell will be on hand to deliver some mini cocktail masterclasses on Bia’s stage.

Festival Director Kate Livingston said: “Slate events is continuously pushing the envelope when it comes to festival experiences, which is why we are delighted to have the support of Bia's Kitchen, a renowned Instagram influencer in the culinary space, hosting a stage where she will interview our local vendors. This will shine a spotlight on the incredible food establishments in our community.

“Our vendors' participation and support are crucial to making events like this happen, especially at a time when funding for free festivals is hard to come by. We hope this initiative will not only make our festival more interactive and exciting but also provide a valuable platform for our local food vendors to showcase their amazing work to a broader audience. 

“We look forward to highlighting the delightful culinary offerings we have locally and attracting more visitors from further afield to experience our vibrant food scene.”

She added: “This festival is for the community of Warwick - local businesses, community groups, charities, and people who live and work here. The success of the Stratford event stemmed from its clear links to the town itself and its community, and we can’t wait to do the same in Warwick with its own unique festival that really champions the town and provides a platform for the local community to engage with and explore what makes their town special  - not to mention bringing people from far and wide to get a taste of the great place Warwick is to live, work and visit.”

Warwick Pursuits Festival takes place at St Nicholas Park, is supported by the Henry the VIII Trust, and Live & Local, and entry is free.

Work is under way ahead of the release of the first in a series of Bia’s Kitchen cookbooks later this year, compiling some of her guests’ best recipes. The book sale profits will support mental health, a cause close to her heart.