MASTERCHEF semi-finalist and Oxford PhD student Nawamin Pinpathomrat will take to the stage this weekend to showcase the family recipes that brought him success on the hit TV show..

The Thai-born gastronome, who is studying medicine, will join a star-studded line-up of chefs at the three-day Foodies Festival which is getting underway at South Parks, Headington on Saturday.

Joining him in the food demonstration theatre will be Kenny Tutt, the Brighton bank manager who pipped him to the MasterChef title, Great British Bake-Off winner Sophie Faldo and runner-up Steven Carter-Bailey.

Since MasterChef Nawamin has combined his studies with appearing at Foodies Festivals up and down the country and this will be his first time cooking live before a huge crowd on his home turf.

Food-lovers will see him rustle up crab curry and garlic rice noodles – his grandmother’s recipe and one which wowed TV judges Greg Wallace and John Torode.

The 28-year-old said: “The Foodies Festivals are so exciting. I appeared at the London event and loved every minute.

“I was so pleased to be asked to be part of them and people have been so kind, giving me such wonderful feed-back.

“I’m still getting used to people stopping me in shops and asking ‘Are you the Thai cook off the TV?’ I pose for many, many selfies.”

More than 40,000 people are expected over the Bank Holiday weekend but cooking live on stage doesn’t faze the culinary showman whose stand-out dishes for the contest included a swan lake dish complete with coconut swan in blue custard.

He added: “I am so excited for the weekend and seeing my friend Kenny and cooking for the lovely people of Oxford. They were so nice rooting for me when I was on MasterChef. It will be a pleasure to cook live for them.

“My passion is cooking trusted recipes for my family and friends. Always Thai food – it’s clean, fresh and makes you feel good.

“I know there are a lot of people expected this weekend but I’m getting used to going on stage now and when nerves creep in I just smile to cover them up like I did on TV.”

Festival director Sue Hitchen said Mr Pinpathormrat has generated a lot of queries and is very popular with festival-goers.

Billed as the UK’s ‘biggest celebration of food, drink and live music’, the festival will feature an array of street stalls, live cooking demonstrations and more than 100 artisan producers.

New this year is a music stage featuring The Hoosiers, Toploader and Dodgy.

Details foodiesfestival.com