FOOD lovers are being asked to wear something red, white or blue at a Harvest Festival to mark British Food Fortnight.
The Harvest Festival is being held at Stewart Park in Middlesbrough, on Sunday, September 24, and will feature more than 40 stalls packed with food that’s been grown, reared or produced in North Yorkshire, Teesside and County Durham.
They include Rob Clayton, a baker from Darlington, who makes a wide range of flavoured breads, the Mellanbys, a farming family from County Durham who grow winter vegetables and sell them at the market from September through to March, and Carol Peacock, a dairy farmer from Sedgefield whose cheese recently won two Great Taste Awards.
There’s also some great examples of how local meat and vegetables are being used in foods from around the world including Korean dumplings, Indian curries and samosas, Chinese stir fry noodles and Polish vegan savouries.
Nigel Davison, market manager, said: “We have some amazing stallholders and many of them have won awards this year, so what better way to celebrate than a Harvest Festival during British Food Fortnight.
“We’re asking visitors to show their support by wearing something red, white or blue when they come to the park, and if those who bring their dogs want to dress their four-legged friends in something red, white or blue that would be great!”
The event – which also features live music, arts and craft stalls and children’s activities – is being sponsored by Growing Middlesbrough Local Food Network and has been organised in partnership with Askham Bryan College.
Other activities at the event include a smoothie bike where visitors can whizz up a delicious smoothie using pedal power alone, a ‘Planter Alley’ showing how things can be grown in even the smallest of spaces and a hand-powered apple press that turns apple crops into fresh juice.
Visitors are encouraged to take along any apples from trees in their gardens along with a clean sealable container and they can make their own juice to take home.
There’s also a free cook book swap shop – a library-style stall where visitors can leave any cook books they no longer want and take away any they do.
Joe Dunne from Growing Middlesbrough Local Food Network said: “The team at Northern Dales share our commitment to promoting quality food and drink produced locally from ingredients grown or reared in this area which is why we’re delighted to support the Harvest Festival.
“During a recent survey of residents four out of every five people said it was important that the food they bought was produced locally.
“The Harvest Festival at Stewart Park provides people with the opportunity to buy from local independent producers and to find out more about the thriving food industry that exists in our area, all the while keeping more money circulating in our local economy.”
• The Harvest Festival takes place at Stewart Park, Middlesbrough, on Sunday, September 24, from 9am to 2pm.