George Egg - the comedic chef returning to Big Feastival

George Egg has wielded wallpaper strippers in place of saucepans, fried eggs on hotel irons, and built an entire comedy career out of culinary mischief.

Now he has announced his return to Big Feastival with his signature mix of stand-up, storytelling, and seriously clever food.

George is a comedian, cook, and the creative force behind the hit online series Snack Hacker, a playful and inventive collection of short films showcasing clever recipes and original food hacks.

How It All Started: Comedy, Cooking, and Hotel Irons

George's journey from stand-up comic to cult cooking performer started with a hot iron and a hotel room.

He said: “I did stand-up for 20 years before I started cooking on stage. In 2015, I began combining the two - making meals using unconventional appliances. The first show was about cooking in hotel rooms using an iron, a trouser press, a hairdryer. Then I did another show all about cooking with power tools - wallpaper strippers, hot air guns, that kind of malarkey. It was this mad blend of stand-up and DIY cooking, and people really connected with it.”

Lockdown and writing the book

What started as a lockdown distraction turned into a book that blends food, nostalgia, and a dose of humour.

George added: “During lockdown, when I couldn’t get on stage, I started filming these videos called Snack Hacker with George Egg as a kind of creative, culinary outlet. They got a lot of traction - and that led to the idea of a book. At first it was just going to be recipes based on the stuff I’d done online, but then I realised how much nostalgia and my upbringing shaped my food. My dad did all the cooking at home, and that really influenced me. So the book became more than just recipes - it’s full of little essays and stories too, about things like microwave burgers on trains and English breakfasts my dad made. It’s part cookbook, part memoir.”

Winning Over Audiences

George’s festival food demos often come with a twist - and sometimes, a celebrity co-sign.

He explained: “The first time I did Big Feastival, I made a dish where I turned a McDonald’s Egg McMuffin into an egg mayo sandwich - added some nori salt blitzed in a Nutribullet, a touch of Marmite, loads of cress. Alex James came on stage, tasted it, and started telling the audience why what I was doing was important - that it was about anti-snobbery in food. That moment meant a lot. It’s what I try to do: take something familiar and make it surprising without being pretentious.”

Fish Finger Spaghetti - Food Without Rules

His recipes blend humour, thrift, and bold flavours - like his take on fish finger pasta.

George added: “Fish finger spaghetti sounds wrong, doesn’t it? Bread and pasta. But if you think about it - it’s just breadcrumbs and noodles, and it really works. It’s loads of garlic, chilli, olive oil, fennel seeds, a bit of Thai fish sauce and tomato purée. Bake the fish fingers, chop them up small, and mix them through with parsley. It’s like crab pasta - only cheaper, funnier, and still packed with umami.”

Audience Evolution

As his act evolves, so has George Egg’s audience - but accessibility remains key.

He said: “I think my crowd has shifted a bit - I’m getting more foodies now, especially at festivals like Big Feastival. But I’m always thinking about both audiences: the people who are into cooking, and the ones who just love food but don’t feel confident in the kitchen. I try to make everything I do feel doable - whether you’re a total amateur or a seasoned eater.”

This year's Big Feastival returns from August 22 - 24 2025, hosted on Blur bassist Alex James's farm in Kingham, Oxfordshire, nestled in the Cotswolds.

written by abi kinsella