Crowds served belly full of treats
HUNGRY crowds flocked to the fourth Wear Valley Food Festival at Auckland Castle, Bishop Auckland, on Easter Saturday.A record breaking 23,000 foodies attended the event to enjoy cracking food, top beer, and yummy ice creams.
Perfect Sunny weather helped lure the crowds who had the choice of 100 stalls, cookery demonstrations and the chance to tour Auckland Castle too.
Chef Nick Martin¹s demonstrations in the Northumbria Larder kitchen were a big crowd pleaser, with easy to follow recipes dished up with anecdotes and advice about using local produce.
Nick said: ³Cooking isn¹t a job for me: it¹s a way of life.
³Even when I go on holiday, I¹m always looking for new places to eat and drink.
³Events like this are perfect to showcase local food and drink.² Christine Peart, husband Richard and son David had a stall at the event for their thriving family business Weardale Soup.
Christine, who lives in Westgate, said: ³This is our third festival and was the first big event we attended with Weardale Soup.
³We¹re selling hot and cold soups including our award-winning Organic Tomato and Red Pepper with Wensleydale cheese stirred in.² The event showed off the best of Wear Valley and North East produce and aims to encourage people to make best use of local scran.
Festival organiser Sue Snowdon, said: ³ Months of work have gone into the organisation of the festival, and it¹s all been worthwhile.
³The weather was perfect, the surroundings quite fantastic and as for the food and drink many stallholders had to send out for more supplies!² Cllr Eddie Murphy said: ³What a day and what a magnificent festival.
³I was so proud to be able show off our wonderful castle and the fantastic organisation that has gone into the event.² Fire-eaters, jugglers, a chocolate fountain and a lifesize badger made the day complete.