FINAL preparations are being made for one of the most hotly anticipated fortnights on the Furness social calendar.

For the next two weeks celebrity chefs will descend on Dalton and Barrow, cooking up a storm in the name of the Lake District Farmers Armstrong Family Charitable Fund.

For six years LDF have invited Michelin-starred chefs to cook for a hungry public. Every penny raised during the fundraising events will then be channelled towards the philanthropic work carried out by the LDF.

On the eve of the first celebrity chef event, held this weekend at the Clarence House Hotel in Dalton, managing director of the LDF Dan Austin said preparations so far had been "intense".

"There is always a lot to do. It's an intense time. All the chefs need different pieces of equipment, in terms of the service what we've got to remember is that you need to integrate all the ways the chefs work. It's an intense time but we've got a great team."

On Friday 9 and Saturday 10 renowned chefs including Angela Hartnett and Jeff Galvin will cook for dozens of guests. With dozens of Michelin stars shared between the chefs attending this year's event, the paying public will be in for one of the best meals of their lives.

Mr Austin said the charity's work was a fitting tribute to the legacy of the philanthropist and businessman, Ray Armstrong, who the charitable trust was named in honour of.

He said: "Thank you to the people of Barrow-in-Furness. They are the people that make this happen. We can put this together, the venue gives us their support and the chefs travel up, but we need the people of Barrow put their hands in their pockets and support us.

"It's a great testament to Ray Armstrong."

See the links below to learn more about the LDF and the charity work they do, and to find out how to buy tickets for the upcoming chef event in Barrow.