Wear Valley Food Festival once again graces Bishop Auckland this month and will take place between 10.00am and 4.00pm on Saturday, April 18th, at Auckland Castle.
Entry to the event is free and there will be over thirty stalls selling assorted food and drinks, as well as artists and crafts traders.
Visitors and traders alike will be hoping that this year’s festival is blessed with beautiful weather, as it was last year, because it will make those home made ice-creams and organic smoothies taste that little bit sweeter.
Speaking of sweet things, there are some very special treats for those among our readership who have a sweet tooth. As well as the smoothies and home-made ice-cream, visitors can look forward to stalls selling gourmet chocolates, Dutch doughnuts, cakes, fudge, jams, biscuits and local honey.
Those who are more inclined to savoury treats need not worry though, because there will be produce to suit all tastes.
Meat lovers among us will relish the opportunity to peruse stalls selling game, beef, lamb, organic meats, sausages and beef burgers, while those who want a bite of fresh fish will not be disappointed.
As well as local products, there will be foreign fare on sale. For those who love Thai food but have no time to make it themselves, a stall will be selling authentic, ready-meal Thai cuisine and, if anyone is in the mood for Mexican food, there will be a Burrito Bus.
An overwhelming range of authentic Italian food, imported from small producers, will also be on sale at the festival. There are many here among us who like a little drink once in a while and we will be treated to wines, liqueurs, organic cordials and the locally-brewed Durham Dales Ale.
For those who would prefer a rush of caffeine to an alchoholic beverage, they can visit the tearooms or a stall selling speciality coffees.
There will be representatives from various community groups from the area too, with ‘Love Food Hate Waste’ giving advice on how to avoid wasting food and how to recycle leftovers.
The Energy Saving Trust will have a stall that will give tips on how to save energy, which will save you money while tackling global warming.
Local interest groups will also be represented at the event. The Butterwick Hospice will hold a tombola and will be selling merchandise in order to raise funds, while the Weardale Railway will be selling promotional items for their cause. Tanfield Railway is another organisation with a stall in the Bishops’ Park, and will be selling railway-related toys and books as well as providing information about the railway.
Bishop Auckland’s Rotary Club and the Scout’s District Council will also have stalls at the fair, as will the North East Theatre Organ Association.
St. Mark’s Church of Eldon will be selling cushions, quilts and pictures, while on the stall for Byers Green Village Hall, a wide variety of crafts will be sold. As well as all of the above, six local artists will be displaying their work and over thirty craft traders will be plying their trade.
The Wear Valley Food Festival will be packed full of fantastic and varied stalls, so be sure to visit on Saturday, April 18th. Even if the weather is not great you’ll be able to get a nice cup of tea or a lovely hot soup.
Bishop Auckland's local community newspaper.
