Blur's Alex James to showcase music and food

Musician Alex James said Britain had the best chefs in the world

Former Blur bassist Alex James is hosting the first food and music festival at his farm on the Oxfordshire border from 9 to 11 September.

Harvest Festival features The Kooks, KT Tunstall, Athlete, The Feeling and chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.

Mr James, 42, said: "I used to be in a band and now live on a farm making cheese, so having an event that was food with music grew organically."

Organisers say the farm site in Kingham has the capacity for 20,000 people.

Mr James bought the farm on his honeymoon in 2003.

He said: "We've turned it from a derelict ruin into this crazy tomato-experimenting cheese machine. It's been an amazing journey."

The musician cum cheese-maker said the festival's outdoor cooking theatres and demonstrations were an important part of the weekend.

"Feeding people at festivals has always been an afterthought," he said.

"But food in Britain has gone supernova and we've got the best chefs in the world now."

Friday's line up includes a bill of local bands arranged by Kingham community festival organisers Commotion.

Harvest Festival is a sister event to the one being held by TV presenter and pig farmer Jimmy Doherty at his farm near Ipswich in Suffolk over the same weekend.