Brothers who convinced a Dragons’ Den judge to invest in them, the latest winner of The Great British Bake Off, a presenter of the popular BBC daytime series Escape To The Country and pies inspired by Bishop Auckland.
All are newly announced for this year’s Bishop Auckland Food Festival, which is now just two months away on Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 April.
Lumberjaxe, Jasmine Mitchell and Briony May Williams will all be appearing at the event on Sunday 19 April, organised as ever by Durham County Council and free to attend.
Lumberjaxe shot to prominence after their appearance and successful investment on Dragons’ Den, while Jasmine will be a very familiar face to ‘Bake Off’ viewers having won last year’s series. Briony is perhaps best known for presenting Escape to the Country but she too appeared in ‘Bake Off’ nearly a decade ago.
They join Phil Vickery, Shivi Ramoutar, Aaron Mountford-Myles who’ve already been announced for Saturday 18 April, and host Chris Bavin who will appear across the full weekend of the festival.
They’ll join over 150 traders offering food from both near and far, for festivalgoers to choose from.
Cllr Karen Allison, the council’s Cabinet member for leisure, tourism, regeneration and high street, said: “We’re really looking forward to Bishop Auckland Food Festival and thrilled to be announcing that Lumberjaxe, Jasmine and Briony will be part of the event.
“We know how important food and drink are to visitors to County Durham and how many jobs they sustain here, supporting our economy in the process. It’s therefore fitting that we can organise events such as Bishop Auckland Food Festival that recognise and celebrate all that food and drink contribute to our area.
“We can’t wait for everyone to come along and enjoy an amazing selection of food with us.”
Lumberjaxe is made up of brothers Brendon and Jaydon Manders, who together came up with a seasoning and sauce brand, with the purpose of making preservative free products that are lower in salt and sugar. The brothers, who share a love of outdoor cooking, appeared on BBC Dragons’ Den in February 2025, successfully securing investment from global business leader Emma Grede. Their pitch was described as “one of the most powerful moments in Dragons’ Den history.”
Jasmine Mitchell brought a calm, methodical approach to the baking tent during her successful run in last year’s ‘Bake Off, earning five ‘Star Baker’ titles and multiple handshakes from Paul Hollywood. Not only did she showcase an unbeatable set of skills, flavours and designs, she also brought personal authenticity to the competition, openly sharing her journey with alopecia and choosing to bake without a wig, a powerful statement of confidence that drew a huge response from viewers.
Briony May Williams appeared on series nine of ‘Bake Off in 2018, finishing fourth. She now presents BBC One’s property series, Escape To The Country, as well as being one of the presenters of BBC One’s Morning Live. Her other TV credits include Pointless Celebrities, House Of Games and The Weakest Link. Briony’s first cookbook, The Retro Recipe Society, was published earlier this year.
Ahead of the festival, meanwhile, people are being given the chance to take part in a competition to come up with a recipe for a pie that represents Bishop Auckland. The food festival has teamed up with Bishop Auckland College’s The McIntyre Centre to invite budding bakers, foodies, and creative cooks to submit their ideas for a truly local pie that captures the flavours, spirit, and personality of the Bishop Auckland area. Favourite suggestions will be cooked at The McIntyre Centre and judged, with one lucky creation crowned the winner and sold across the food festival weekend for everyone to enjoy.
To find out more visit www.bacoll.ac.uk/piecompetition. Entries must be submitted before 28 February.
The festival is also offering a treat for chocolate lovers, with workshops from chocolatier Paul A. Young both days. Paul will be running hour-long Perfect Truffles Masterclass and Adventures with Chocolate sessions, both the Saturday and Sunday.
Booking for these is required via the festival website, where further information on everything happening across the two days can be found, at www.bishopaucklandfoodfestival.co.uk
