UPDATE: This event was cancelled at the last minute and I doubt it’ll be back.
The sun has started to make an appearance, and the festival season really in full swing now. Following the sheer unexpected number of visitors to the first Tynemouth Food Festival, delicious announce a new event at Nissan Sunderland.
Delicious North East Food & Drink Festival sees leading chefs cooking in demonstration kitchens, some of those pop-up restaurants we love, and an accompanying beer, cider and wine festival over the weekend 14-15 July. Interesting/off-putting choice of location, at the Nissan car factory in Sunderland – but we will get to see a glimpse of how some cars are made. Early entry is £5.
In the theatre kitchen is big name Kenny Atkinson, definitely worth a watch, and big personality Bob Arora from Sachins, along with others due to be announced closer to the date. Kids can see CBBC presenter Stefan Gates, and some “local celebrities try their hand in the kitchen”. All sounds very interesting, we will definitely be there, and will update this page with further announcements as they come!
Full PR:
TASTE BUDS TINGLING AS NEW NORTH EAST FOOD AND DRINK FESTIVAL IS ANNOUNCED
Food lovers will be licking their lips when the flavours of the north come together for a new food and drink festival taking place this summer.
The inaugural Delicious North East Food and Drink Festival, which is being held at the unique setting of the European home of Nissan in Sunderland, is expected to attract thousands of visitors from the region and beyond.
Taking place on the weekend of the 14th and 15th July it will appeal to food and drink enthusiasts and families alike.
Youngsters and CBBC fans will be excited to learn that Gastronuts presenter, Stefan Gates will be performing in his Gastronaut Live show on both days at the festival. Gates is a food adventurer and award-winning writer/TV presenter renowned for his perceptive, witty and unconventional approach to food and cooking. The Gastronaut who loves extraordinary food is also known for the world’s wildest, cheekiest and most explosive food stunt shows.
Joining Stefan in the theatre kitchen will be leading chefs from the region including Kenny Atkinson from Rockcliffe Hall, Bob Arora of Sachins and Dave Coulson of the Castle Eden Inn.
For those who are more interested in the tasting rather than the making, there will be 3 pop-up restaurants to choose including contemporary Italian cuisine from Amore of Sunderland, sizzling grills from Liberty Brown and the finest Punjabi food from Sachins of Newcastle.
In addition to pop-up restaurants there’ll also be a delicious range of food and drink stalls show-casing the best of the north and offering something for every palate as well as Real Ale and Cider experience in association with CAMRA.
Kenny Atkinson, director of food at Rockliffe Hall hotel, said: “Standards in the North East have caught up now. We won two consecutive years on the Great British Menu, our chefs have talent and our suppliers have us head and shoulders above everyone else in the country.”
Dave Coulson, head chef at the Castle Eden Inn, said: “The festival is a brilliant idea – we’re catching up with the south and celebrating food and local producers. The last couple of years food up here has taken off – we have some really talented people producing and cooking.”
The demonstrations in the Delicious theatre kitchen will be hosted by Mark Earnden, who started the Food Education Company eight years ago, which works in North East schools to encourage children to eat healthily and learn to cook.
Mark said: “If we can raise the profile of food in the region and have fun at the same time then that’s fantastic. My aim is to get as many people as possible involved with the food so it’s interactive and engaging and they’ll come back next year.”
“We need to go in with a big bang and get Delicious on the map. It’s for the whole region and we’d like to see it become a big annual event similar to the Air Show. People come from far and wide for that and it would be great if this had the same pull.”
“I’m hosting the theatre kitchen and getting other people on stage which will be good fun. We’ll be cooking up a storm”
Kam Chera who owns one of Delicious’ pop-up restaurants, Amore, is backing the festival, hoping it will benefit the North East: “I think it’s about time we had something like this to showcase the best talent in the region.”
“A festival like this allows businesses like ourselves to show off our food. It’s nicely located to attract people from all over the North East and then we can demonstrate what we do and encourage people to travel to Sunderland. I would recommend local businesses to get involved however they can and put the festival on the map.”
Tickets for the first Delicious Festival will be priced at £5 for adults if pre-booked and £7 on the day at the festival. Under 16 are free.
The festival will run from 12am-8pm on Saturday 14th July and 10am-6pm on Sunday 15th July. For more information about the Delicious North East Food and Drink Festival visit www.deliciousfestival.co.uk or for exhibitor information contact Callaghan Marketing on 0191 305 5090. Follow us on Twitter @deliciousfest
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