The Wear Valley Food Festival is the largest food festival in the North East, attracting in excess of 20,000 visitors last year. This award winning event is held at the historic Auckland Castle, the ancestral home of the Prince Bishops since the 12thC.

Enter the grounds through the Clock Tower Gate and you will find an avenue lined with a wide selection of stalls. As you wander further into the grounds, there are more stalls waiting to be discovered, selling quality local and regional food and drink. In the Kitchen Marquee you will see numerous cookery demonstrations. The Northern Rail Marquee is full of all kinds of Arts & Crafts. Inside the Castle itself, take a moment to visit St Peters Chapel, one of the largest private chapels in Europe, before entering The Gentleman's Hallway, lined with more stalls.

Meander up the staircase and into The Throne Room that has been transformed into a magnificent Tea Shop serving a wide range of refreshments to tempt the palate, before finally reaching The Long Dining Room, lined with even more stalls and of course the home of the world famous Francisco de Zurbaran paintings.