In a town built on graft and grit, food has always been more than nourishment — it’s been a conversation, a comfort, and a quiet kind of poetry passed from one generation to the next. And now, for the first time in years, Bolton’s kitchens are speaking again — in the pages of Taste of Bolton, a new recipe book that celebrates who we are, where we’ve come from, and where we’re going.
Created and curated by Gulnaz Brennan — the visionary behind SheInspires and the woman responsible for previous community recipe books that honoured Bolton’s stories through food — this book is a heartfelt continuation of a legacy. But this time, it’s bolder, broader, and beautifully timed.
Taste of Bolton brings together the beating heart of the town — its people — through dishes filled with memory, meaning, and multicultural magic.
And who better to open this feast than Mike Harrison, better known as Chef‑to‑Go, the man behind the festival’s beloved chef programming since 2006. A proud Boltonian and culinary curator, Mike has lent not only his name but his deep-rooted passion to the foreword — reminding us that food, especially in Bolton, is always about more than ingredients. It’s about identity. About gathering. About belonging.
The book is stitched together with care and flavour. Yes, you’ll find recipes from celebrity chefs who’ve lit up the Food & Drink Festival stage, but you’ll also taste the generosity of grandmas, the boldness of young cooks, the warmth of community groups, and the joyful chaos of kids making lunchbox magic in the Kids’ Corner.
There’s the Chef’s Table and the Community Kitchen, where home recipes are shared with love and pride. And the Spice Stories — lyrical, powerful explorations of the ingredients that migrated with us, settled with us, and helped build the Bolton we know today.
Sprinkled throughout are kitchen wisdoms whispered across cultures — simple, soulful truths that every good cook knows, regardless of language or heritage.
This isn’t just a cookbook. It’s a community in hardback. It’s a testimony to a town that knows the value of eating together, laughing together, and growing stronger around a shared table.
Through the lens of food, Taste of Bolton invites us to rediscover one another.
And through every line, every photograph, every note of spice and sweetness, Gulnaz Brennan brings her signature blend of vision, voice, and vulnerability to each page. This is her love letter to Bolton. To the market stalls and the masala tins. To the packed lunch and the prayer-baked bread. To the fish fry, the spice box, and the Sunday roast. To the local, the global, and the home-cooked soul of this place we call ours.
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Taste of Bolton launches st Bolton Food & Drink Festival. Be the first to bring this story into your kitchen. Let it nourish you — not just with food, but with pride. Because this isn’t just about taste. It’s about who we are when we come to the table.