CELEBRITY CHEF: Martin Bosley demonstrates techniques at last year's fair

THE memory of much-loved Otaki schoolteacher Frank van Kampen will be the focus of this Saturday’s Kapiti Food Fair.

While most attendees browse food stalls in the grounds of Whitireia Community Polytechnic’s Kapiti campus, inside 60 gastronomes will be sitting down to a four-course lunch in aid of local charities, including a trust set up in Mr van Kampen’s name.

The 46-year-old father of one was killed in September while cycling in Te Horo, 12km north of the food fair’s Lindale site.

The Fabulous Feast lunch will see four high-profile local chefs, including award-winning restaurateur Martin Bosley, prepare a course each using donated food ingredients from Waikanae New World and wines from the Kapiti winery Ohau Gravels.

Food Fair co-director Tony Gan says the decision to support local charities is in keeping with the festival’s community-focused philosophy.

“The fair is all about celebrating the Kapiti community, and a big part of that is giving something back.”

As well as the fundraising lunch, fair attendees are being encouraged to bring an item of non-perishable food to donate to the Kapiti Food Bank.

“With Christmas around the corner we’re hoping people will give generously,” Mr Gan says.

When the fair was first held this time a year ago, he and co-director Jeanine Van Kradenburg were students completing Whitireia Polytechnic’s cookery diploma.

Despite having now left their school days behind, the two agreed the festival deserved to become an annual event and for the past two months have been working on the follow-up.

And with more stallholders, cooking demonstrations and live entertainment promised, they are confident, weather permitting, the 2009 fair will surpass last year’s attendance of around 5000 people.