From Gardens to Gatherings: A Celebration of Community Food in Gateshead

nikkidravers • July 31, 2025

From Gardens to Gatherings, a vibrant celebration of our borough’s growing community food movement, is taking place in Saltwell Park this September. This flagship event will showcase the power of food to connect people across cultures and backgrounds, improve health and wellbeing, enhance our environment, and support sustainable local economies. 


This celebration event will be a chance to eat good food together around banquet-style tables, share recipes, learn new skills, celebrate food heritage and diversity of tastes in Gateshead. It will be a colourful, inclusive event, great for a family day out, all ages and backgrounds are welcome. It is free to attend, all the workshops and activities will be free, and a variety of food options will be sold at low cost. No booking is required: please come along anytime between 11am and 4pm, though get in there quick if you want to sign up to the workshops!


The event will include:

  • Stretch tent filled with stalls showcasing voluntary sector organisations and projects based around food growing, creativity, and community food activities, selling fruit and vegetables grown in Gateshead by community groups, products made by local social enterprises
  • A schedule of practical workshops: learn about foraging, fermenting and dehydrating foods, tips on how to reduce food waste, make tea with locally grown herbs, and share stories of Gateshead’s food heritage and future. Sign up on the day, first come, first served
  • Food demonstration Tipi: hosted by Chef Anthony O’Shaughnessy with a variety of local chefs
  • Hot food offer serving locally produced and organic food cooked by Gateshead College students; tasty homemade soup served by the team at The Bank Chopwell; and Saji's Restaurant Felling serving Punjabi food. Enjoy this feast around banquet-style communal tables, dressed with wildflowers, encouraging people to eat together and start conversations with strangers
  • A small stage for entertainment and musical performances and short talks
  • A tipi tent for children and young people, creative play and art activities for all ages


We really encourage you to use public transport wherever possible to get to this event.


This event is funded by UK Government UK Shared Prosperity Fund; as well as funding from North East Combined Authority, and Royal Horticultural Society.  Showcasing Gateshead Food Partnership: around 30 different voluntary sector organisations and small local food businesses will be involved on the day, with stalls, workshops, creative activities, cooking demonstrations, and musical entertainment.