Bishop Auckland Food Festival returns this year and around 140 traders have been confirmed to attend the festival as it takes over the town’s marketplace next weekend.
Bringing a huge variety of street food traders, artisan food producers, bars with real ales, pop-up cafés, live music and entertainment, there will be something for everyone to enjoy on April 22 and 23.
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, the festival which is organised by Durham County Council pulled in a record 30,000 visitors across the weekend.
There are over one hundred food stalls at #BishFoodFest this year on the weekend of the 22-23 April
— Bish Food Festival (@BishFoodFest) April 14, 2023
This includes Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten Free and Dairy Free options
You can find a full list of this year's traders at https://t.co/9nuxQP0w8r pic.twitter.com/e2lzlWo68z
The full list of traders at the Bishop Auckland Food Festival 2023 can be found here.
What to expect at Bishop Auckland Food Festival
The festival will include vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free options.
As well as the huge selection of food traders taking to the stalls, there will also be celebrity chefs appearing on the live cookery stage located off Bondgate.
Saturday’s stellar line-up includes Michelin-starred chef Phil Vickery, Great British Bake Off 2022 contestant Januz Domagala, chef, TV presenter and author Rachel Allen plus TV chef Chris Bavin who will be the host for the weekend.
On Sunday, 2018 MasterChef winner Kenny Tutt and Great British Bake Off 2022 runner-up Sandro Farmhouse will take to the stage.
Cookery workshops such as Hungarian chocolate biscuit roll making and colourful pasta making will be taking place at Bishop Auckland Town Hall over the weekend. These events will cost £4 each.
There will also be ‘have a go’ sessions throughout the weekend where visitors can attempt to make illusion cakes and flower-pot cupcakes. These events will cost £5 each.
You can book online here for the classes and find out more information about dates, times and age restrictions.
Free craft workshops for children will also be running on Saturday and Sunday as well as lots of entertainment and attractions.
Is there a park and ride for Bishop Auckland Food Festival and where can I park?
If you have been thinking about your travel plans to the Bishop Auckland Food Festival, you might have been wondering how you can get there and where you can park.
An accessible park-and-ride service will be in operation for visitors between Bishop Auckland College (DL14 6JZ) and the town centre.
There will also be buses running from 9.30am on Saturday and Sunday. The last return bus will run at 5.30pm on Saturday and 4.30pm on Sunday.
Return bus tickets will cost £2 for adults, 50p for children aged five to 15 years old and are free for those under five.
If you’re wanting to travel by car to the festival, town centre car parks will be open but may be busy and drivers should be aware of diversions due to road closures for the event.
Alison Clark, head of culture, sport and tourism at Durham County Council, 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.”
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