DINNER is served!

Bolton Food and Drink Festival launches this morning when celebrity chef Michael Caines lifts the lid on four days of foodie heaven.

He will officially open the festival and unveil the spectacular cake designed by expert baker, Rose Dummer, to celebrate Bolton Museum’s multi-million Egyptology gallery opening next month.

Michael will host a free cookery demo at the Lifestyle Hall at Bolton Market over lunch today, from 12.30pm-1.30pm.

At 1.45pm he will hotfoot it over to Pandora at the Market Place Shopping Centre to meet Rose and her Egyptology cake.

There will be more cookery demos at the market at 1.30pm with Kishnan Kant, chef from Spice Valley restaurant who now runs his own specialist restaurant in Farnworth, and Alain Job, who specialises in contemporary African street food.

As well as all the other ingredients that go to make up a fantastic first day . . . music, theatre, street food, speciality stalls . . . there will also be one special much anticipated debut.

Carrs Pasties will be unveiling their new Festival Pastie, a Steak, Bank Top Brewery Ale and Ormskirk mushroom pastie.

One of The Bolton News content editors, Craig Archer enjoyed a tasty preview of the Bolton delight and his verdict was: "It's amazing!".

The pastie will be on sale at the Carrs festival market stall.

The entertainment will last into the night tonight with music on the Festival Stage in Le Mans Crescent until 10pm.

Leader of Bolton Council, Cllr Linda Thomas, said: “The festival is bigger than ever this year and we are delighted to bring on board new traders and welcome some festival favourites.

“With the huge range of choice, there truly is something for all ages and tastes.”