Houghton Feast still has a tasty tradition

Not even the ongoing coronavirus pandemic will prevent a tasty tradition from taking place this weekend.

E at i n g ox roa s t s a n d - w i c h e s at th e a n nu a l Houghton Feast dates back as far as Elizabethan times with people queuing for hours to buy them in rec e nt d e c ad e s f ro m a stall organised by by Houghton Rotary Club.

With this year’s c e l eb rat io n s re - named Houghton Feast at Home and mainly taking place o n l i n e, eve nt o rga n i s e r s were keen for the culinary custom to continue.

Houghton pub The Beehive, in Sunniside, has now volunteered to fill the gap a n d h o p e f u l l y p l e nty o f stomachs by making the sandwiches.

Paul Lanagan, event coordinator and secretary of The Houghton Feast Trust, said: "When I heard that the

Rotary Club were retiring their practice of ox roasting after an impressive 52 years’ of service, I knew the trust would have to keep the unique tradition going.

"We made plans to roast a whole ox on Houghton Feast Saturday and bring back the full spectacle to the festival but the COVID-19 pandemic put paid to that.

"Thanks to the Beehive, this alternative take on the event has ensured that the trust has safeguarded a local custom which has its origins in the Elizabethan times.”

The ox roast sandwiches go on sale on Saturday0, at noon and must be pre-ordered by calling The Beehive on (0191) 5842867. Further d eta i l s ab out H oug hto n Feast at Home, which runs from today to Sunday, October 11, are available from www.houghtonfeast.co.uk