THREE of the region's new Conservative MPs are lobbying Parliament to have food from County Durham put on the menu at Westminster.

The House of Commons catering service runs international food days to promote global cuisines to MPs, staff and visitors.

MPs Richard Holden, Dehenna Davison and Paul Howell, who represent North West Durham, Bishop Auckland and Sedgefield, have asked the Director General of the House of Commons to have a similar scheme established for UK counties.

They hope the initiative will help promote regional produce from across the country, including food produced and manufactured in County Durham.

Mr Holden said: "The international food days in Parliament have been a huge success and it is now time that we recognise the brilliant local food producers we have here in County Durham.

“This is especially pertinent at the moment, as not only are we seeing increasingly higher demand for environmentally-friendly food – that which has not been shipped over from thousands of miles away – but the pandemic has meant we are all now considering how we can ensure our lives are more centred around staying closer to home.

“We will always work to represent County Durham on the national stage – it’s a wonderful area with so much to offer the rest of the country and it is crucial that those who work so hard to create local businesses, jobs and produce for our communities get the recognition they deserve.”