ONE of the Great British Bake Off’s most popular contestants is set to inspire visitors at a County Durham food festival this spring.

Briony May Williams reached the semi-finals of the Channel 4 baking competition last year, with her warmth, humour, resilience and ingenuity making her a firm favourite among the show’s millions of viewers.

The Durham University graduate and mother-of-one now lives in her home city of Bristol but will return to the North-East in April for Bishop Auckland Food Festival.

The Durham County Council event takes place on Saturday, April 13 and Sunday, April 14, and already boasts a line-up of celebrity chefs and food personalities, including BBC MasterChef co-presenter Gregg Wallace.

Briony will demonstrate some of her favourite recipes at the festival’s free Market Place stage on Saturday.

“I cannot wait to head back to the North-East for Bishop Auckland Food Festival,” she says. “I went to university in Durham so the area holds a very special place in my heart. Expect to see some fun and exciting baking tips from me alongside delicious treats!”

Other celebrity cooks appearing at the event include actress and restauranteur Jennie McAlpine, BBC MasterChef’s reigning champion Kenny Tutt and television presenters Angellica Bell and Stefan Gates.

Last year, the festival attracted 27,000 people to Bishop Auckland, resulting in record sales for traders and boosting the local economy by more than £530,000.

Entry will be free once again this year and festival-goers can look forward to even more choice, with more than 150 traders preparing to serve up the finest local produce and tempting dishes from across the globe.

There will also be a workshop programme catering for people of all tastes and ages, along with children’s entertainment and live music.

Bishop Auckland Food Festival is part of #Durham19, a year-long campaign led by Visit County Durham, the council and other partners to celebrate the many cultural events taking place across the county this year.

To book tickets to see Jennie, Kenny, Angellica, Stefan and Gregg and to find out more about the event visit www.bishopaucklandfoodfestival.co.uk, like the Bishop Auckland Food Festival Facebook page or follow @bishfoodfest on Twitter or Instagram.

To find out more about #Durham19, visit www.durham.gov.uk/durham19