IF Cheshire is a culinary capital then Stephen Wundke is one of the region's connoisseurs. For the owner of Pastarazzi Restaurant in Chester has just wrapped up another successful year for the Chester Food and Drink Festival.

As chairman of the event, Stephen is responsible for showcasing the region's culinary expertise and promoting local produce from Cheshire and the north west to a wide audience.

He was instrumental in attracting 16,000 visitors to this year's festival, who braved the elements during a line-up of more than two weeks of events.

"In itself it is quite a triumph because we had to put up with some of the coldest weather we have had in years so we were put to the test.

"We want to keep growing these events so we can continue to attract the superstar chefs as well as make celebrities out of our local chefs."

Among the best was a cooking demonstration by rebel cook' Simon Rimmer but the highlight for many was when television chef Mike Robinson butchered a deer that he had shot on his estate and then cooked it in six different ways, live on stage.

"I thought that was outstanding," said Stephen, who is also the chairman of the Restaurant Association of Chester and Cheshire.

"The auditorium was packed and no one moved.

"He started with the base product and went all the way through to the finished article.

"When most people see meat it is already prepared and wrapped in plastic cellophane but it is important to remember that it was an animal because that's what it is all about."

Now in its seventh year, 2008 saw an important development for the festival as it relocated to a new venue at Chester Racecourse.

In the main grandstand area, there was a large producers' market showcasing cheeses, meats, fruit and vegetables, ice cream, shrimps, salmon and cider as well as homemade chocolates and preserves.

In the concourse, there was also a food court featuring Cheshire restaurants and music and nearby the hustle and bustle of live demonstrations and seminars took place in the Leverhulme stand.

Growing from 75 exhibitors to more than 100, it was a move made necessary by the need for more space and was certainly a new challenge.

"For us, it was great to be able to do what we couldn't do in the previous location.

"We're keen to keep getting bigger, bolder and better," said the chairman.

This proved to be a fruitful partnership because Stephen will be working with Chester Racecourse again for a showjumping event on July 31.

The top 40 riders in the country are set to attend as well several international riders competing for a £50,000 prize fund.

Stephen added: "It will be hard work to bring that together but we hope to attract 20,000 people - that means more people I can get in my restaurant."

As you might expect, the organisation required for such events is vast, particularly the Chester Food and Drink Festival with preparation for the 2009 festival starting very soon in June or July.

As chairman, Stephen works with trainers, chefs and key figures in the food and drink industry to ensure Cheshire remains in the culinary limelight.

"It's crazy because up until I started doing this, there was no elected voice. We didn't know if we were up or down.

"Chester and Cheshire have some fantastic restaurants and I'm here to make sure people know about them," said Stephen.

On top of his duties in Chester, Stephen has been cooking up some of the preparations for other forthcoming events including Nantwich Food Festival in September and Tatton Food Lovers' Festival in October - so the hard work never stops.

On a daily basis, he also has to juggle the responsibility of running his popular restaurant Pastarazzi on Grosvenor Street.

Before opening the restaurant 14 years ago, Stephen designed golf courses for Spain and Portugal from his Chester office.

When he went out in the evening, he noticed that there were few venues in the city where people could dine, especially within a budget.

Now his restaurant offers more than 60 dishes cooked fresh daily and a wine list with more than 70 international labels housed in a picturesque grade II listed building.

It won the Chester Restaurant of the Year accolade in 2006 and 2007 and scored second place in this year's awards.

"To still be heralded among the best is a great honour," added Stephen.

"Since opening Pastarazzi, 52 new restaurants have opened up in Chester and there are only 80,000 people living here.

"So the challenge now is just surviving because it is a very competitive business."