TWO top chefs have been announced for a popular food festival.

The sixth annual Mark Hix's Food Rocks Festival is set to return to Lyme Regis on Saturday, September 8 and Sunday, September 9, and will see chefs Michael Caines and Mitch Tonks attend the event.

This year's event is set to be the biggest and best yet, and organiser Mark said: "Food Rocks is all about celebrating the wonderful array of food and craft producers we have in the west country along with some great chefs and food writers.

"What's so unique about the festival is that it feels like a really happy community.

"People that share the ups and downs that go with making a business out of passion.

"It's an opportunity for everyone to come together and share their journey, and most of all eat great food, drink local brews and have a lot of fun."

Proceedings will kick off with a brand new event, the Glenarm Estate Beef supper club on Friday, September 7.

Hosted by Mark, the evening will include a five-course feast featuring award-winning beef from Glenarm Estate, which is dry-aged for 28 days in a unique Himalayan salt chamber to intensify the flavour.

Saturday will see the festival enter full swing, with food producers lining Marine Parade and chef demonstrations taking place.

Michael Caines, TV chef who has featured on BBC's The Great British Menu, will be the main chef on a line-up that includes James Golding (The Pig), Richard Bertinet (The Bertinet Kitchen), Rose Prince, and The River Cottage's Steven Lamb, who will demonstrate curing and smoking meats, as well as playing compere for the weekend.

Mark Hix will be joined on Saturday evening by Mitch Tonks for the annual five-course celebration of local seafood, the Crab and Mackerel supper club.

Guests in attendance have been warned to expect a messy, hands on affair, with bibs and buckets provided.

Sunday will give festival-goers another chance to check out chef demonstrations and meet the local food producers in attendance, with 40 food and drink producers and restaurants to choose from.

Entry to the festival is free, with tickets to the Glenarm Estate and the Crab and Mackerel supper club priced at £45 per person per event.

To find out more, visit hixrestaurants.co.uk/restaurant/food-rocks