Emma The Gaderung: Ad Gefrin and Local Heroes in partnership with Visit Northumberland mark the season of Lammas with a weekend celebrating Northumbrian food and culture
This August, VisitEngland’s Best New Tourism Business, Ad Gefrin: Anglo Saxon Museum and Whisky Distillery marks the Anglo-Saxon season of Lammas (harvest) with The Gaderung — a one-day celebration of Northumbria’s rich food heritage and culture co-curated by Ad Gefrin and Local Heroes in partnership with Visit Northumberland.
Local Heroes is a regional storytelling platform that through live events, film, podcasts, documentaries and products, shine a light on the people, places and stories that define, inspire and connect communities.
Taking place on Sunday 3rd August, this flagship immersive experience brings together local farmers, makers, bakers, chefs, creatives, musicians, storytellers and communities for a modern-day harvest festival rooted in the land, people and produce of Northumberland and the wider North East region.
Lammas was a time of thanksgiving and communal feasting in the Anglo-Saxon era, marking the gathering of the first grains, ensuring sustenance and prosperity for the winter months ahead. Ad Gefrin’s Gaderung celebrates the unique Anglo-Saxon heritage, ancient hospitality and contemporary produce of the region, as part of a wider Lammas programme this Autumn.
The Gaderung: artisan market
The Gaderung offers visitors a free open-air daytime artisan market of Northumbrian food, drink and craftspeople in the grounds of Ad Gefrin. Each stall will tell a story of local land and labour – from moor to coast, farm to table – inviting visitors to taste and take home a piece of the region. Think: golden jars of Northumberland Honey, the wild clarity of Hepple Spirits, small-batch pie makers and the rich, handcrafted character of Doddington Cheese.
Terry Laybourne chef/proprietor of 21 Hospitality Group will be at The Gaderung representing his fish-focused restaurant Saltwater Fish Company (located in Fenwick Food Hall, Newcastle) showcasing Lindisfarne Oysters and other local deliciousness.
Meanwhile Northumberland-based Copper Ricebox will also bring their signature Asian-inspired street food, made using locally sourced produce.
The Gaderung: a musical showcase
Throughout the day – and providing a soundtrack to The Gaderung’s culinary showcase – a live line-up of local musicians, artists and storytellers will entertain visitors, including: Ruby Kelly – a rising folk voice from South Wales, now based in the North East – Newcastle duo Smith & Liddle alongside Coled Lore, Hannah Graham and Jimi Dingwall.
The Gaderung: the Celebratory Feast
The Gaderung draws to a close with an evening invite-only celebratory Feast in Ad Gefrin’s Bēodern bistro. This joyful communal dining experience features long tables, shared platters of seasonal produce, live music and the ceremonialStandard Bearer’s Toast: a tribute to the land, its people and the traditions that continue to bring communities together.
The Gaderung: Lammas Walk
To round off at The Gaderung, join a relaxed and uplifting evening Lammas Walk from Ad Gefrin to the top of Humbleton Hill. As the sun sets, take in the beauty of the surrounding landscape with celebratory snacks and a Tácnbora Whisky Blend toast as stars begin to appear overhead.
Alongside the weekend programme, visitors are welcome to explore Ad Gefrin’s immersive museum galleries, take part in family-friendly activities and treasure trails, enjoy seasonal dishes at the bistro, Bēodern or book a guided tour and tasting in the adjacent whisky distillery: England’s most northerly distillery and a member of the English Whisky Guild.
The wider Lammas programme: Food, Forage, Ancient Tales & Archaeological Finds – 1st August – 10th November 2025
The Gaderung is just one element of Ad Gefrin’s Lammas programme which also includes:
- Kith & Kin (15th–17th August) will bring to life the everyday experience of an Anglo-Saxon woman through a powerful blend of storytelling and song
- Ad Gefrin at the Glendale Show (25th August), offering tastings throughout the day
- Four-week archaeological excavation at Yeavering (26th August – 18th September) offering rare access to one of Northumbria’s most important early medieval sites. Visitors can join guided site tours, take part in talks, and meet the archaeologists behind the dig and join walking trips from Ad Gefrin to Yeavering taking in the beauty and significance of the surrounding Glendale Valley
- Myths and Monsters (28th–29th October) returns with storytellers on site to share some of Northumbria’s most intriguing (and occasionally fearsome) legends, drawing young and old into a world of ancient mystery and imagination
