TOP chef Michael Caines is opening the Eat Dorset Food Fair on October 18 and 19.

The fair, which is held in the grounds of Parnham House, near Beaminster, is an annual celebration of Dorset’s wonderful food and the people that produce it.

There will also be a chance to wander around the gardens of Parnham House, which are not usually open.

Renowned for the quality and diversity of its produce and food to eat, Eat Dorset has become a mecca for food lovers from across the country.

Two star Michelin chef Michael Caines, MBE, head chef at Gidleigh Park and owner of the Adobe Hotel and Restaurant Group, is opening the fair and judging the Best Autumn Recipe competition at 10.30am on Saturday October 18.

People can enter the Autumn Recipe competition by submitting the Best Autumn Cake or the most innovative, delicious and original Squash Recipe.

The competition is open to all ages. Just send your recipe to info@eatdorsetfoodfair with a note on where it comes from (grandmother, mixture of recipes etc) including a list of ingredients and a clear description of how it’s made. Recipes should be your invention and not from a cookery book!

The best two recipes chosen by an Eat Dorset team will be cooked by Chefs at EAT DORSET and judged by Michael Caines The Autumn Cake category is open to all ages. Cakes can be made using Autumn ingredients or with an Autumn theme (eg decorated with Autumn-coloured leaves).

Entrants should bring their cakes to Eat Dorset to the Information Desk and they will be judged together by Michael Caines.

There will be a prize for each winner Dorset-based chef Lesley Waters will be demonstrating on Sunday morning and will also be running her vibrant and hugely popular ‘pop-up Cookery School’. For information and tickets visit lesleywaters.com Chefs giving demonstrations include Mark Hix, Mitch Tonks, Mat Follas, Brett Sutton, James Golding and Andy Wright from the Pig Hotel group and Aidan Chapman.

Children’s events include storytelling from children’s author, David Lawrence Jones, competitions, face painting, hair braiding and crafts – run by families for children.

There will also be a Cheese Rolling competition with Black Cow Cheddar for both children and adults Champagne, oysters and seafood will be available from Dorset’s landmark Hive Beach Cafe There will also be delicious things to eat from the Bridge House Hotel and the new Symondsbury Cafe.

There will also be tea tasting from Comins Tea House, Dorset Sushi from Dorshi, Thoroughly Wild Catering, wood fired pizzas from Jalopi, a cider bar from the Bull Hotel and new to Eat Dorset 2014, a Black Cow Cocktail Bar.

The fair is open both days from 10am to 4pm. Entrance is £6 and under 16s go free.

See eatdorsetfoodfair.co.uk for more information and follow @EastDorsetFood on Twitter.