More than 150 traders confirmed for Bishop Auckland Food Festival

There will be more than 150 traders at next weekend's Bishop Auckland Food Festival.

More than 150 traders from County Durham and beyond will be taking stalls at the event, which we run, on Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 April.

And alongside the familiar faces that regular festivalgoers will recognise, there'll be 30 new traders selling everything from paella to Portuguese street food.

There'll also be activities and performances within the grounds of Auckland Castle this year.

Last year's festival pulled in an estimated 28,000 visitors across the weekend and organisers are hoping for more bumper crowds this time out.

Lots of new and local traders to look forward to

Cllr Elizabeth Scott, our Cabinet member for economy and partnerships, said: "We've got more traders than ever this year and we're incredibly proud to be playing host to the finest food and drink producers from the region and beyond.

"Once again, 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.

"This year's offer includes Sicilian and Sri Lankan street food, smash burgers and crispy duck wraps, as well as sweet treats such as churros and pancakes. We'll also have cheeses, jams, quirky gins and bubble teas, 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."

This year's celebrity chefs are BOSH! duo Henry Firth and Ian Theasby, Matt Tebbutt, Cyrus Todiwala, Meliz Berg, Marcus Bean, and Dan Hunter.

'The Culture County'

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 our 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 our Towns & Villages programme.