News-More than 140 traders to appear at Bishop Auckland Food Festival: See what food is on offer

Bishop Auckland Food Festival

Our festival returns to Bishop Auckland town centre in just over two weeks' time, on Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 April.

The food-filled weekend will feature cookery demonstrations from renowned celebrity 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; Italian chef Francesco Mattana; and festival favourite TV presenter Chris Bavin, who returns as cookery theatre host.

There will also be ticketed workshops and a host of family-friendly street entertainment, from musicians to comedy performers.

And while festivalgoers enjoy the entertainment, they can see, try and buy produce from over 140 independent traders selling everything from savoury snacks to sweet treats.

Street food and sweet treats

For those looking to make a meal out of the festival, there will be plenty of street food options with flavours from around the world including smash burgers, crispy duck wraps, BBQ pulled pork, curries and rice bowls, hot dogs, shawarma, and even the Teesside parmo.

Visitors can follow this up with a sweet treat or two, with a generous offering of ice-cream, bubble waffles, crepes and Churros or take home cakes and puddings, including cheesecakes, chocolate, cupcakes, brownies and blondies, handmade fudge, cookie pies and caramel shortbreads.

Festival-goers can also pick up a meal kit or two to recreate some of the mouthwatering food on offer at home, as well as speciality condiments and sides including jams, pickles and homemade breads and scones.

All this can be washed down with a beverage of choice from a range of local brewers and distillers, from coffee, tea, juice, to cocktails, gin, beer and ales.

Dietary requirements

Many of the traders cater to a range of dietary requirements including gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian, and vegan. A full list of dietary information is on the Bishop Auckland Food Festival website.

There will also be retailers selling a mixture of goods including plants, homeware, and pet treats and accessories.

Sarah Glynn, our strategic manager for culture, said: "We have some absolutely tremendous producers in County Durham and the wider region. The best thing about Bishop Auckland Food Festival is that all these brilliant traders come together in one place, and we get to have our fill of the fantastic goods on offer.

"I hope visitors are building their appetites for a deliciously fun-filled weekend."