IT promises to be a feast fit for a king – and who better to get things cooking than Bournemouth’s very own Mayor Councillor Phil Stanley-Watts.

As part of the Echo-backed Bournemouth Food and Drink Festival, the Mayor will join Flavours School of Cookery’s resident chef Des Burke for a lesson in how to cook lobster thermidor on June 29.

The festival launched last year to celebrate food and drink across the region ranging from local hotels and cafés to farmers and brewers.

This year the event will be spread over 10 days culminating in a three-day food and drink market in Bournemouth Square and The Triangle from June 29 to July 1.

Other festival highlights include themed evenings, food tastings and cookery demonstrations.

Next Friday marks the official start of the 2012 Bournemouth Food and Drink Festival with the Barons of Beef event at the Hotel Miramar that also includes a medieval-themed street carnival.

Organised in association with Bournemouth Accommodation and Hotel Association and Bournemouth council, it will revive an old 19th century annual festival when Bournemouth Chamber of Trade and Commerce executives were known as ‘Barons of Beef’.

Also running throughout the festival will be Flirting around The World, which will see traditional foods prepared by Bournemouth’s Flirt Café. These themes include mouth-watering dishes from England, Mexico, India, Spain, Thailand and Italy.

Joining the Mayor on June 29 will be a host of food demonstrations at the Demonstration Kitchen located on Bournemouth Square as part of the Bournemouth Food and Drink Festival Market. This will see a masterclass from Antonio Bennetto of La Tasca Restaurant, Matthew Budden of Highcliff Grill at Bournemouth Highcliff Marriott Hotel, Matthew Cook of Fish Face, Chris Warwick of Urban Beach Hotel and cookery students from Winton Boys school.

For more information visit bournemouthfoodanddrink.co.uk