A DASH of celebrity glamour graced the second day of the Gloucester Quays Food Festival as cheeky Italian chef Gino D'Acampo dropped in to give a cookery masterclass infront of his legion of adoring fans.
Gino is due to open his first My Pasta Bar restaurant in Fleet Street, London this month and hopes to follow up with a second eatery in Gloucester Quays.
The 2009 winner of I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here said it has been a long standing ambition to open up an Italian themed diner in the city - with food just ahead of the ladies as the reason he keeps coming back to Gloucester.
"I love coming back to Gloucester, this is my third year," he said.
"It is a cool place and a great food festival.
"There is great produce here and we should be doing all we can to support local producers, always.
"I have been thinking of opening a restaurant here in Gloucester Quays for about two years now.
"It is going to happen at some point.
"Last year it didn't happen, but I am opening one in London in a couple of weeks.
"Definitely Gloucester is a place where I would want to open one also.
"The women of Gloucester are very friendly, and very beautiful.
"They are nice girls, that is one of the reasons why I come here.
"It is the food first, and the girls later."
Gino's demonstration today (Saturday) is his third appearance at the Festival, and follows on from Mary Berry yesterday (Friday) and Saturday Morning Kitchen host James Martin dropping in on Sunday.
Traders said the festival is a great way to open up local produce to new customers.
Marc Birch, 54, from Nailsworth, was selling his Plenty Pies.
"Festivals are so important in Gloucester to help show off the great produce on offer in Gloucestershire," he said.
"The Christmas festivals, Tall Ships and now the Food Festivals have all bee good for business.
"Our tartiflette pies with potatoes, cream, onion and bacon have been really popular."
Nick Stephens, from Eldersfield, was running his Bordeaux Undiscovered stall.
"We import fine wines and sell them all over the county," he said.
"They compliment the great local produce that is on offer at the Food Festival perfectly, there is something to suit everyone."
On Sunday, Edd Kimber, winner of The Great British Bake Off will be giving a free cooking demonstration at noon and 3pm.
Other attractions include a free Cookery School and childrens entertainment plus a Village Green where you can enjoy a glass of fizz, Pimms or cider to the sounds of free live music.
