Right back at the very beginning of Velveteen Rabbit, one of our weekly markets was at Bishop Auckland. A beautiful city going through some extreme renovations, we’ve done our fair share of markets up there.
2021 was our third year attending Bishop Auckland Food Festival.
To be honest, we weren’t sure if would go ahead. Usually a Spring festival, this one had been moved back to October. The whole town centre is shut down, with traders, live demos, music and street food. All of it is organised by Channell Events and Durham County Council, and they really do a fantastic job.
The pandemic has hit some of the traders hard, there have been fewer attending festivals and markets – some having gone online totally, some having gone out of business, some still shielding. This was another opportunity for us to get back out and touch base with those who supported us in the very beginning, to let them know that we’re still going.
It’s great for us to grab a few moments with other traders too, to see how they’ve progressed, what they’ve done to survive. Sharing ideas, news and a brew!
It’s also a great way to get ideas for seasonal shopping. Like everyone else, we’ve made a pact to buy from local makers this year to help support the economy, and here they all were in one place!
It might’ve been cold and a bit rainy (when isn’t it in the North?) but the turn out was great and the support was great.
Thank you Bishop Auckland, see you in the Spring!
