PRIZE sausages will be among the award-winning produce on offer at a popular food festival this weekend.

The Northumberland Sausage Company, set up by former scientist Dr Claire Watson-Laney and her father, is just one of dozens of established North-East food and drink producers signed up for Bishop Auckland Food Festival.

Visitors will be able to snap up about 30 different sausage varieties, including the company’s Great Taste one-star winning pork, red onion and Tarset Valley marmalade and Northumberland smoked cheese and cracked black pepper sausages.

The festival, organised by Durham County Council in partnership with Auckland Castle Trust and Bishop Auckland Town Council, takes place on Saturday, April 26 and Sunday, April 27.

Dr Watson-Laney said: “We did Bishop Auckland Food Festival for the first time last year and absolutely loved it. It was one of our first events last year and we had two young team members training who were nervous and giggly.

“We left them with enough stock to last the weekend and by mid-afternoon they had sold out. The atmosphere was lovely and people were really excited to see so many lovely local food companies all together."

As a molecular biologist with a master’s degree and a PHD, she set up Northumberland Sausage Company with her dad Lewis, a sheep farmer, after they bought the local butcher’s shop in Wark, Northumberland.

As well as making a mouth-watering variety, which also includes Newcastle Brown Ale, minted mushy pea and a chilli sizzler, the company also runs popular sausage-making workshops at Brockbushes Farm Shop, in Corbridge, who will also be at Bishop Auckland Food Festival.