Chester-le-Eats food festival announces return to Durham's Riverside cricket ground

Chester-le-Eats has announced its return - with even more food and drink on the menu.

The popular festival, which attracted 10,000 visitors last year, will take place at Durham's Riverside ground in Chester-le-Street on Saturday, October 5 and Sunday, October, with more pitches to cater for demand.

There'll be an extra 20 pitches this year available for food and drink brands, as well as craft and retail - and the team is asking traders who wish to be part of the event to apply.

Ythan Sale, from Durham Cricket, who launched the event in 2022 said the festival had grown significantly in terms of visitor numbers over the two years and it was time to 'really go for it' with a new festival layout that would accommodate working with more brands.

He said: “Having a great day out with the family that’s filled with fabulous food, music and entertainment is what we always wanted to achieve.

“In 2023, 10,000 visitors flocked to the event to enjoy a stellar line-up of music acts, flash mobs from the local dance school, stilt walkers, rides and amazing food and drinks from regional producers – with everything from Indian and Caribbean cuisine on the menu.

“The event has by far surpassed our expectations, with the whole community coming together to have a great time. For year three, we have decided to switch things up a little, increasing the size of the event by utilising more space within the grounds of Durham Cricket – and we believe this will be the best year yet.”

In year two, Chester-le-EATS exhibitor stands sold out within months. An additional 20 stands have been added to the event to accommodate more businesses.

“We’ve had excellent feedback from the food and drink companies we have worked with. Ryan, who owns Caribbean street food brand, The Calabash Tree, completely sold out both days - and he wasn’t the only one,” added Ythan.

“We’ve decided to really go for it this year with a much larger indoor retail area where visitors can browse and buy even more top-notch food, drink and crafts.

“We’ve also listened to what the public and businesses have said about key points such as our opening times, and we’ve changed those too. For 2024, we will open from 11am to 6pm on both days – which will enhance the experience for everyone.”

Chester-le-EATS 2024 will see another top-class music line-up, a dedicated family zone, street food from around the world, and exceptional produce such as bakes and cakes, gins, rums, jams, chutney – all produced by passionate people in the North East and beyond.

Applications for Chester-le-EATS are now open. Any businesses which wish to apply can do so online at: https://chesterleeats.spotty-media.com/