TV chef to headline Bishop Food Festival

Live cookery demonstrations and a local produce market have been unveiled as parts of this year’s Bishop Auckland Food Festival.

The annual food festival will feature more than 160 local food and drink producers from the North East across the Market Place and Auckland Castle on Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th April. Produce including fresh meat, fish and vegetables, chutneys, puddings and beer, wines and cider will be on offer. The event

TV chef Simon Rimmer from Sunday Brunch will host a live cookery demonstration in the grounds of Auckland Castle. Stefan Gates from CBeebies, expert Mark Lloyd and award-winning food writer Richard Fox will also appear over the weekend.

Organisers have promised more family entertainment and children’s activities for this year’s event. More than 35,000 people attended last year’s food festival.

The festival is organised by Durham County Council with the Auckland Castle Trust and town council.

“The food festival is always a fantastic event, offering a real flavour of what County Durham and the wider area has to offer in the way of fresh, home-grown and homemade produce – and, of course, it’s also a great day out for all the family with lots of fun and entertainment to enjoy,” said Councillor Neil Foster, Durham County Council’s Cabinet member for economic regeneration.

CBeebies stars Stefan Gates and Katy Ashworth will cook up some fun for junior chefs at the inaugural Bishop Auckland Food Festival Kids’ Club. Taking place in the Town Hall on both days, the kids sessions will include a children’s cookery school, food lab and storytelling.

For more information, visit www.bishopaucklandfoodfestival.co.uk.