This year’s line-up for Bishop Auckland Food Festival

The free festival will take place on Saturday, April 18 and Sunday, April 19 in Bishop Auckland town centre and is organised by Durham County Council.

Thousands of visitors are expected to attend across the two days, with more than 140 traders selling a wide variety of food and drink, from pulled pork to pancakes, fudge to fried chicken, and craft beer to bubble tea.

Bishop Auckland Food Festival 2025. (Image: Sarah Caldecott)

A number of well-known chefs and television personalities will appear across the weekend, offering cookery demonstrations and sharing their expertise with festivalgoers.

Appearing on the Sunday will be Lumberjaxe, Jasmine Mitchell and Briony May Williams.

Lumberjaxe is made up of brothers Brendon and Jaydon Manders, who together came up with a seasoning and sauce brand, with the purpose of making preservative free products that are lower in salt and sugar.

The brothers, who share a love of outdoor cooking, appeared on BBC Dragons’ Den in February 2025, successfully securing investment from global business leader Emma Grede. Their pitch was described as “one of the most powerful moments in Dragons’ Den history.”

Also appearing on the Sunday line-up is Jasmine Mitchell, the winner of last year’s Great British Bake Off. During her time on the BBC programme she openly shared her journey with alopecia and chose to bake without a wig, a powerful statement of confidence that drew a huge response from viewers.

Briony May Williams, who appeared on series nine of Bake Off in 2018 and finished fourth, will also appear on Sunday. She now presents BBC One’s property series Escape To The Country and is one of the presenters of BBC One’s Morning Live.

Her other television credits include Pointless Celebrities, House Of Games and The Weakest Link. Her first cookbook, The Retro Recipe Society, was published earlier this year.

Celebrity chef Phil Vickery, pictured at the 2023 Bishop Auckland Food Festival will headline the event this year, it has been announced (Image: Supplied)

Saturday’s line-up will feature chef Phil Vickery, Shivi Ramoutar and Aaron Mountford-Myles.

Phil Vickery has appeared on This Morning for over 22 years and returns to the festival having been part of the line-up in 2023.

He has also had two series of his own on ITV, Phil Vickery’s Pudding Club and Save Money: Good Diet, and has appeared on BBC programmes including Holiday, Ready Steady Cook and Proof of the Pudding. He is also a prolific cookery author, having written 19 books which sell worldwide and have won many awards.

Shivi Ramoutar can regularly be found cooking her tropical fare on television, including appearances on Saturday Kitchen, James Martin’s Saturday Mornings and This Morning, as well as on her own series Jimmy and Shivi’s Farmhouse Breakfast.

Bishop Auckland Food Festival 2025. (Image: Sarah Caldecott)

Aaron Mountford-Myles shot to the nation’s attention last year when he reached the final of Channel 4 series The Great British Bake Off.

Hosting the festival across both days will be Chris Bavin, who returns to the role he has held in previous years. Chris is co-presenter of BBC One’s Eat Well for Less? and has also presented Tomorrow’s Food with Dara O’Briain and The Truth about Meat.

He is also co-presenter of BBC One’s Food: Truth or Scare with Gloria Hunniford, was the presenter for two series of BBC Two’s Britain in Bloom and served as a co-judge on BBC One’s Britain’s Best Home Cook. He is also a regular guest and reporter for The One Show and Morning Live.

Bishop Auckland Food Festival 2025. (Image: Sarah Caldecott)

Chocolate lovers will also be able to take part in workshops run by chocolatier Paul A. Young across both days of the festival.

Paul, who was raised in Trimdon Station and went to Wellfield Community School and New College Durham, will host hour-long Perfect Truffles Masterclass and Adventures with Chocolate sessions.

Bishop Auckland Food Festival is attended by tens of thousands. (Image: Sarah Caldecott)

Cllr Karen Allison, Durham County Council’s Cabinet member for leisure, tourism, regeneration and high street, said: “We’re really looking forward to Bishop Auckland Food Festival.

“We know how important food and drink are to visitors to County Durham and how many jobs they sustain here, supporting our economy in the process. It’s therefore fitting that we can organise events such as Bishop Auckland Food Festival that recognise and celebrate all that food and drink contribute to our area.

“We can’t wait for everyone to come along and enjoy an amazing selection of food with us.”

Further information about the festival and booking details for the chocolate workshops can be found on the Bishop Auckland Food Festival website.