Tuck into Chester-Le-Eats as food festival returns to Durham's Riverside cricket club

Chester-Le-EATS returns to Seat Unique Riverside on Saturday, September 30 from 10am to 4pm and Sunday, October 1, from 10am to 3pm, with a host of street food traders and a top bill of talent. The festival is free to attend.

Street food favourites Redheads Mac N Cheese; The Calabash Tree serving up Caribbean cuisine; Bangladeshi food from Mivesi Spice; Scream for Pizza; Doughvine Desserts; The Gourmet Burger Van; Mr Chipstix; Parm-o-Rama; and Phi Pie – which will be tantalising taste buds with Greek gyros, are all confirmed for this year’s event.

Plus, guests can tuck into tasty buys from producers including The Great British Cheese Company which will be selling their famous cheese truckles; award-winning chutneys, jams and marmalades from The Cherry Tree, Durham-based Pitwheel Distillery; Le Mini Macaron; honey from the Travelling Bee Company; Durham Coffee; an outdoor freight bar from Durham Cricket and plenty more.

There will also be musical entertainment from Tik Tok sensation, Lauren Amour, from South Shields who recently supported The Vamps, and who has more 300K followers on her account.

Britain’s Got Talent finalist and Newcastle-born, Jamie Lee Harrison, who has opened for artists such as Becky Hill, Joel Corry, Ronan Keating, Sean Kingston, Lucy Spraggan and many more will also be taking centre stage as part of the festival.

Plus, Solo artist Jack Walton, who featured on X Factor – and who’s now performing in venues across the UK – will be wowing visitors with his vocals.

Rob Warren, Durham Cricket’s Venue Director, said: “Chester-le-EATS is only in its second year, but we’ve already upped the ante with a jam-

packed food, drink and music line-up and entertainment for people of all ages. Thousands flocked to last year’s event, and we hope people are getting excited about this year’s festival.”

Niall Tudor McKay-Mount, who owns Screaming Chimp Chilli Sauces with his wife Vicky, said: “This is our first Chester-le-EATS and we cannot wait. Our range features multi-award- winning chilli products such as Mango and Papaya sauce, Chimpotle and the Chimpion Chilli Oil - which all have Great Taste Awards. Plus, we’ll be selling our range of seriously hot sauces, too.”

Dog lovers will also be able to buy treats for their four-legged friends from Evie’s Pupcakes and retailer, Create and Share – which sells giftware for pets.

Create and Share founder, Laura Rimmer, said: “We are really excited to bring two of our gift brands - Barks and Books and Feline and Fiction - to Chester-Le-Eats for the very first time. The event delivers not only a weekend of food and entertainment but has an amazing community spirit. We can’t wait to contribute to the lively atmosphere this year and enjoy one of the most fun weekends in the North East calendar.”

Ythan Sale, Durham Cricket’s Event Manager, said: “There’s some serious talent singing at this year’s event. Music and entertainment have always been an integral part of what we are trying to deliver with Chester-le-EATS, which is a fun-filled free weekend out for all the family.

“2023 also sees the addition of some children’s rides and Durham Cricket’s team mascots, lions Chester and River, will also be making an appearance. We are also excited to announce performances from Euphoria Dance Academy, a Chester-le-Street dance group led by Janet Balfour showcasing the vibrant dance culture and talent within our community.”