The rise of the celebrity chef tour

Chefs and food writers are hosting sell-out live events around the world

Mary Berry on stage with drums
The 'rock star chef era' has arrived
(Image credit: Alamy / Finnbarr Webster Editorial)

The Eventim Apollo in west London has hosted some of the planet's biggest music stars, from Kylie Minogue to Lana Del Rey. And, come March, a "new name will take to its stage", said Hannah Evans in The Times. "But if adoring fans throw anything at him it's more likely to be aprons than knickers – the headliner is the chef and TV personality James Martin."

He isn't the only talented cook to turn his hand to live events. Last year Mary Berry took to the stage at the Gillian Lynne Theatre in the West End for an interview with "reality TV darling" Rylan Clark. The evening was filled with "heart-warming anecdotes, practical baking tips, an abundance of charm and strictly no soggy bottoms", said WhatsOnStage.

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Irenie Forshaw is a features writer at The Week, covering arts, culture and travel. She began her career in journalism at Leeds University, where she wrote for the student newspaper, The Gryphon, before working at The Guardian and The New Statesman Group. Irenie then became a senior writer at Elite Traveler, where she oversaw The Experts column.