The Southern Highlands Food and Wine Festival is on again, and this year’s special guest is host of River Cottage Australia Paul West.

Paul said he was thrilled to be part of the festival.

“I’m excited to work with some of the amazing local produce and flavours of the Highlands,” he said.

“It seems there are lots of passionate and creative food and winegrowers in the area, and I look forward to meeting them, seeing where and how they’re farming, and catching up with lots of locals at the festival as well.”

Paul has created recipes using ingredients from the shire’s fresh food and alcohol.

He will invite some of the artisan producers of the area to his Corbett Gardens’ kitchen to help him carve up, cook up and serve up some of the Highlands’ finest produce.

Paul’s cookbook, The River Cootage Australia Cookbook, will be available for purchase and signatures after the cookfest. The book features more than 120 recipes which focus on delicious and sustainable food with sustainability and the environment in mind.

Paul will be present at the festival from 12.00pm to 2.00pm on both days.

He will also appear during the very first evening section of the festival from 5.30pm on October 1.

So pull up a chair, stake a claim with a rug and enjoy everything the festival has to offer.

The Australian Highlands Wine Show winners will be announced at 6.00pm, and bottles of award-winning wines will be available for purchase.

The Lou Bruce Quartet will entertain the night crowd with jazz, soul and funk blues sound.

The Southern Highlands Food and Wine Festival will take place in Corbett Gardens, Bowral, on October 1 (10.00am to 4.00pm and 5.30 to 9.30pm) and October 2 (10.00am to 4.00pm).

For more information and tickets, visit www.southernhighlandsfoodandwine.com.au.