The spring sunshine added the perfect seasoning to a weekend full of food and family fun at this year’s Bishop Auckland Food Festival.
Thousands of people flocked to Bishop Auckland town centre for the return of one of the region’s biggest food festivals, for two days of entertainment, cookery demonstrations, workshops and, of course, food.
The streets were lined with over 150 stalls where visitors could try and buy regional food and drink from a range of street food traders and artisan food producers, selling everything from gyros, gyozas and grilled barbecue to churros, crepes, coffee and cocktails.
A star-studded line up of celebrity chefs cooked up a storm with their demonstrations on the kitchen stage, which was hosted by TV presenter and returning festival favourite Chris Bavin.
The chefs serving up inspirational dishes included TV chef Simon Rimmer; social media influencer and baker Jane Dunn of Jane’s Patisserie; MasterChef 2024 champion Brin Pirathapan; TV judge and pastry chef Cherish Finden; master chocolatier Paul A Young; and Italian chef Francesco Mattana.
Bringing an extra flair to the festival atmosphere was a series of walkabout entertainers including Granny Turismo, the Lollipop Ladies, Bell & Bullock, circus performer Stanley Youngman, and Bubble Play.
There was also music in the air with performances from singer and songwriter Steve Pledger, Citizen Songwriters’ Sam Slatcher and Alex Summerson, the North Tyneside Steel Band, and the Rock Choir.
Sarah Glynn, Durham County Council’s strategic manager for culture, said: “What a weekend we’ve had at Bishop Auckland Food Festival.
“It’s been great to welcome our celebrity chefs, who have wowed the crowds with their cookery demonstrations.
“And lots of our traders had a really successful weekend, which is a brilliant result for businesses.
“It’s also been lovely to see so many people come to Bishop Auckland across the two days, and we’ve had lots of positive feedback from visitors.
“This is just one festival in our culture and events programme for 2025, and we’re looking forward to bringing more exciting events to County Durham throughout the year.”