More than 150 traders dishing up delicacies and delights are set to attend a much anticipated County Durham food festival next week.

Bishop Auckland Food Festival weekend kicks off on April 20 at 10am - and a whole host of delicious treats are set to be served up by traders cooking a wide range of food.

Portuguese, Sri Lankan, Mexican and Spanish are just a few cuisines set to be represented at the event, which will also see appearances from celebrity chefs including BOSH! duo Henry Firth and Ian Theasby, Matt Tebbutt, Cyrus Todiwala, Meliz Berg, Marcus Bean, and Dan Hunter.

More than 28,000 people flocked to the towns Market Square to see what was on offer last year as organisers are hoping this year will be just as popular.

With just a week to go until the event, Cllr Elizabeth Scott, Durham County Council’s Cabinet member for economy and partnerships, said: “We’ve got more traders than ever this year and we’re incredibly proud to be playing host to the finest food and drink producers from the region and beyond.

“Once again, 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.

“This year’s offer includes Sicilian and Sri Lankan street food, smash burgers and crispy duck wraps, as well as sweet treats such as churros and pancakes. We’ll also have cheeses, jams, quirky gins and bubble teas, 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.


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“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.”

More information on the event can be found on the official website which includes timings for celebrity chef appearances.