Seaham Festival was a roaring success and despite the bad weather crowds showed up for the food extravaganza.

Moments of sunshine were lapped up as visitors could enjoy the wares of 120 different traders.

An incredible range of food was available from sizzling street food to sausage rolls, scotch eggs, cheesecakes, cheese, olives, bakes and cakes.

Durham County Council runs the annual event and it provides a lifeline for local businesses.

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Jonny Stewart, a recent Masterchef contestant, made a demonstration designed to inspire chefs of the future.

He said: “When lockdown happened I thought what am I going to do with my time, I couldn’t go to gigs any more.

“I thought I would have a go at cooking and that was it.

“I always wanted to try different foods."

The Northern Echo: Around 120 different stalls were available to browse

Speaking ahead of his demonstration, he said: “Today I want to show people how easy it is to make stuff cheaply.

“I’m going to be making a fried chicken sandwich entirely from scratch.

“With how expensive it is these days it’s easier to cook at home than go out to a restaurant.

“I hope I inspire some other future cooks and show them that it is possible.”

Visitors also got to watch a line-up of top celebrity chefs hosted by TV presenter Chris Bavin.

The Northern Echo: Despite the bad weather hundreds turned up to the festival

The line-up included MasterChef 2023 Champion Eddie Scott, Great British Bake Off 2022 winner Syabira Yusoff and vegan baker Freya Cox.

Local business owner Dave Richardson, from Canny Candy Gadgies, described how important the festival was for the town.

He said: “I live just around the corner, so it is amazing to be able to just walk to the festival.

“A home town festival is always brilliant and people really come out to show support.

“It’s so important for the businesses of Seaham and it brings in a lot of people who wouldn’t visit otherwise.”

The Northern Echo: Visitors from across the North East enjoyed the festival

Councillor Elizabeth Scott, Durham Council’s Cabinet member for economy and partnerships, said: “While the rain did bring its unexpected moments this weekend, we had an absolutely fantastic time at Seaham Food Festival.

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“It was great to see so many people from across the region come down and enjoy the incredible produce our traders have to offer.

“We would like to thank everyone for coming out despite the unpredictable weather, we hope you had as much fun as we did.

“I’d also like to thank the traders and celebrity guests, the festival’s supporters and sponsors, and all the staff and volunteers for their hard work and efforts to make this weekend happen.”