Food Festival – It’s all about getting together

As spring rolls around, the annual Food Festival of Bishop Auckland occurred over the weekend of 18 and 19 April, writes volunteer community journalist, Carla Krenzke. About 452 stalls provided the guests with amazing cuisines and handmade products like jewellery or soaps.

Star chefs like Phil Vickery and Jasmine Mitchell contributed great live cookery at the theatre stage and presented easy but impressive recipes to make yourself.

From Neapolitan pizza, Polish sausages or gyozas to sweet churros and açai bowls – everyone was able to find what they were craving.

Dietary requirements were no barrier to enjoyment at this year’s festival, since the majority of food stalls also offered a variety of vegan or gluten-free dishes.

The atmosphere was electric. Warm spring sunshine bathed the festival grounds all weekend, making sure every face you encountered had a smile on it.

But beyond the food, the fun, and the favourable weather, this festival means something deeper to Bishop Auckland.

“It’s really about celebrating local produce and local activities,” says Stephen Gray, Town Councillor of Bishop Auckland.

“I think it brings a lot of people into the town centre.

“And you know, this is like a lot of towns in County Durham, it’s sort of suffered over the years from different kinds of shopping habits and economic challenges.

“This is a chance to bring people into the town and to show them that there’s a lot to offer.”

Bishop Auckland’s food festival was launched in 2018 and counts as one of the best-attended in the region. Therefore, many new people from even further away come to Bishop, which brings a lot of value to local businesses. Being able to get immediate feedback for your product is helpful for many.

Lydia Dunn, founder of Durham-based Bites, sees the festival as a golden opportunity — not only to grow her local customer base but also to raise the profile of her business in the wider community.

People gathered all around the theatre stage to watch the talented chefs do their magic in the kitchen. One of them was Phil Vickery, a Michelin-starred chef who is no stranger to the Bishop Auckland stage, having participated in the festival before.

For Phil, returning was an easy decision — he describes the atmosphere as genuinely lovely and appreciates the welcoming, friendly nature of the Bishop Auckland crowd.

But the festival is more than just profitable for the local economy and businesses. When we asked visitors, traders and locals what makes the Food Festival truly special, it was always heard the same phrase: “It brings everyone together.”

So, it’s not just about the food and products, but also about strengthening the community. It is about neighbours reconnecting, strangers striking up conversations over a dish, and a whole community celebrating Bishop Auckland.

To give the festival the recognition it deserves, we created a video documentary about it, even interviewing star chef, Phil Vickery.

The video, which is less than three minutes but captures the essence of the entire weekend, can be found on our website, Facebook and YouTube channels or can be watched below.

We’re excited to welcome everyone back next year, and till then, we can all pay our favourite stalls a visit at their local shop!