Stage set for bumper Newcastle Food and Drink Festival

Thousands of food and drink lovers will descend on Tyneside this weekend for the three-day Bank Holiday Newcastle Food and Drink Festival.

And dozens of independent traders from across the region will join the talented teams, offering a diverse range of food, drink and a little entertainment during the Exhibition Park extravaganza.

Organisers hope it will become a regular event in the region’s calendar, with guests set to enjoy “an immersive experience through the world of culinary arts, emphatic live entertainment and much more”.

At the heart of the park will be the Street Food Arena, featuring a wide range of global cuisines, from Europe to East Asia.

There will also be a number of well-known names from across the region, including scotch egg maker The Yolker, Bay Fudge, cookie maker Just a Littlemore, Doddington Dairy and The Travelling Bee Company.

Drinks will be served in a range of independent bars that will include Tyne Bank Brewery, which has produced the festival’s Full Ale House, as well as its usual craft ales and cask favourites on draught, complementing bars serving specialty ciders, rum, gin, wine and cocktails.

Serious foodies will be able to take in demonstrations at the Live Cookery Theatre, with guests including MasterChef finalist Anthony O’Shaughnessy, who is bringing a star-studded roster of cookery experts.

Troy Terrington, of Dobson & Parnell, Joshua Sercombe, from Blackfriars Cookery School, and Emma Carlton, of Sweet Patisserie, are also set to appear.

Organiser Michael Johnston said: “The festival aims to foster a day of amusement that suits all preferences.

“We want to provide insight into the region’s local talent, while ensuring there’s amusement for friends and family of all ages and cultures.

“The free festival programmes are available for those who want to experience all the event offers, providing a guide to the fruitful line-up of activities stretching throughout the afternoon.”

Other entertainment will include an ‘Inflatable Land’ and funfair, and a Live Entertainers Stage, which will feature six daily arts and magic shows, kids activities, quizzes, comedy and a fact hunt.

Organisers hope the festival will raise more than £100,000 for Tyneside & Northumberland Mind, through donations, various festival activities and optional contributions on ticket sales.

For more information about line-ups and to purchase tickets, visit www.newcastlefoodanddrinkfestival.com