Banging burgers, katsu curries and local cheeses and chutneys are just some of the culinary delights that’ll be on offer at next weekend’s Bishop Auckland Food Festival.
Durham County Council, which organises the festival, has confirmed that around 140 traders from County Durham and beyond will be taking stalls at the event on Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 April.
And alongside the familiar faces that regular festivalgoers will recognise, there’ll be 20 new traders selling everything from hot sauces to “vegan scran”.
Last year’s festival pulled in a record 30,000 visitors across the weekend and organisers are hoping for more of the same this time out.
Alison Clark, Durham County Council’s head of culture, sport and tourism, said: “We’re always incredibly proud to see the festival play host to stalls from the region’s finest food and drink producers and this year is no different.
“It’s particularly pleasing to see so many Bishop Auckland and County Durham-based traders among this year’s line-up and benefiting from the kind of exposure and ability to reach new customers that a festival of this profile will give them.
“The sheer quality and variety of the food and drink offer pulls in visitors from far and wide, and whether they’re trying something new or sticking to a familiar favourite, people come back year after year knowing they’re in for a treat.
“This year there’ll be Armenian street food, Teesside parmos, Yorkshire pudding wraps and Scandinavian salads, as well as sweet treats such as brownies, churros and crepes, plus cheeses, jams, teas and coffees and even handmade dog treats.
“We cater for all kinds of tastes. There’s an A to Z of traders plus a handy street map on the festival website and on both we’ve got those with vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and dairy free options all clearly labelled to make it easy for people to find their way around.
“Don’t forget, we’ve also got the cookery demonstrations from our celebrity chefs, plus live music, family activities, and street entertainment, so people can really make a day of it.
“There’s just over a week to go now and we’re really looking forward to another successful weekend.”
Bishop Auckland Food Festival is just one of the many cultural events taking place in County Durham this year, cementing Durham’s position as the ‘culture county’ and demonstrating the council’s ongoing commitment to culture-led regeneration.
This includes delivering key projects within County Durham’s shortlisted UK City of Culture bid; progressing major capital projects and raising the county’s profile as a fantastic place to live, work, visit and invest.
Bishop Auckland Food Festival is supported by Bishop Auckland Town Council and Durham County Council’s Towns & Villages programme.