A tribute to one of Porthleven Food Festival's founders, Jane Kereama, will be held on the opening night of this year's festival.

Many of the big name chefs who will be taking part in this year's festival will be cooking a banquet-style memorial feast served in Kota Kai, with all proceeds going to St Julia's Hospice, which provides specialist care for people with terminal illnesses.

Jane, who was married to chef Jude Kereama and set up Porthleven restaurants Kota and Kota Kai with him, died in May last year, aged 46, from advanced cancer.

Tickets will include entry into the festival’s evening music Shipyard Session, which features Jane and Jude’s favourite eighties party music.

The feast will be held during the evening of Friday, April 17 with this year's festival running over three days until Sunday, April 19.

Jane had organised the Chef's Theatre at the festival for 11 years, since its inception. This year Jude has taken over the bookings and has put together an all-star programme of south west chefs that includes Josh Eggleton of The Pony and Trap and a duet from Mick Smith of St Ives's Porthminster Café with Ben Prior, formerly of Ben’s Cornish Kitchen in Marazion and currently cooking up a new project in St Ives.

Jude, who recently won the Trencherman’s Award for special contribution to the industry, and will soon open his third restaurant, Kuki, in Carnon Downs, said: “It’s a great tribute to Jane’s memory to be able to bring all the top chefs from the South West together in this fantastic two-day line-up.

“It’s also a reminder of the roots of the festival as one of our objectives is to ‘promote awareness of the extent and quality of locally produced food’. These chefs are second to none and truly showcase all that is fantastic about food in our region.”

In traditional style, festival patron Antony Worrall Thompson will officially open the event at 10am on the Saturday by holding a cook-off competition against Jude.

Other chefs giving demonstrations that day include Stephane Delourme of Rick Stein’s Seafood Restaurant in Padstow, former Fifteen Cornwall head chef Andy Appleton now of Appleton’s in Fowey and local boy Stew Eddy from The Square in Porthleven, taking to the stage with his one-time apprentice Dorian Janmaat, who recently took over as head chef at The Idle Rocks in St Mawes following eight years honing his craft at Raymond Blanc’s 2 Michelin-starred Le Manoir aux Quat‘Saisons.

Jeff Robinson, owner and head chef at The New Yard Restaurant at Trelowarren, which won the Trencherman’s award for creativity and innovation, will close the stage for the day.

On Sunday Cornwall College will start proceedings with a demo from their staff and students before Bruce Rennie of The Shore in Penzance, which recently won the Trencherman’s Award for best restaurant in the south west, takes to the stage.

He will be followed by Michelin starred chef Chris Eden of Gidleigh Park in Devon, Guy Owen as executive chef at the St Enodoc Hotel in Rock and 2018 South West Chef of the Year Tim Kendall of the Barley Sheaf in Gorran before Rupert Cooper of Philleighway Cookery School closes the event.

Porthleven Food Festival is free to attend with tickets only needed for the Shipyard Sessions in the evenings, although keen food-lovers can guarantee a priority seat in the Chefs’ Theatre, as well as a bridge pass for easy access around the harbour and entry to all three evening events, by purchasing a Gourmet Ticket at porthlevenfoodfestival.com

Tickets for the Jane Kereama Memorial Feast will cost £65 from Kota Kai closer to the date. Tables will be for ten people, with the option to fill a table or be seated with other smaller groups.