Bingley Food Festival is set to return to the town’s market square at Easter – but it will be missing an ingredient.

James Martin, the Yorkshire celebrity chef who had wowed hundreds of people at Bingley Arts Centre during the festival for the last two years, will not be there.

The chef, known for hosting the TV show Saturday Kitchen, has been a major crowd-puller but it is understood he has other commitments this year.

The Arts Centre is also being used for a production by Bingley Little Theatre and will be unavailable for the festival.

Instead, there will be 30 stalls in Market Square for the event on Friday, April 2, and Saturday, April 3, which is now called the Bingley Fine Food Festival.

Tim Hirst, Bradford Council’s assistant director of commercial and support services, said: “Each year we adapt the event to fit the circumstances which are affected by the availability of celebrities, the amount of sponsorship we can raise, access to venues and other external factors.

“We are delighted that this year we are able to present another Bingley Fine Food festival with support from the fine food traders.”

A centrepiece is being provided by Chino Thai restaurant, of Bradford’s Centenary Square.

Chefs from the restaurant are carving a fruit sculpture which will go on show.

Soraya Overend, project manager for Jamie Oliver’s Ministry of Food Centre in Bradford, will demonstrate how to cook produce from markets on Friday.

At last year’s event, 400 people at Bingley Arts Centre watched James Martin cook.

Councillor John Pennington (Con, Bingley), said: “We hope James Martin will be back next year but the festival is going ahead and it will be as big and as good as ever.”