It’s a fascinating event that happens only once a year: The Middlesbrough Town Meal. The town meal is a celebration of the growing projects that have run throughout the year across individual families and community groups in the area. Through the donations of their produce crafted through hard work, we celebrate our successes as a town together. This celebration is the Town Meal, cooked by school cooking staff from schools across Middlesbrough.

So that everybody can share the celebration, the meal is completely free to all those who attend.

While the Town Meal is primarily Middlesbrough’s celebration as a town, growers are invited to retain their best speciments so that they can enter the produce competition. This competition is open to all and includes a number of different categories including pickles, jams, soft fruits and even the strangest shaped vegetable! You can find the Produce Competition entry form here.

Of course, there is also entertainment on offer. The afternoon’s entertainment will feature the Bilsdale Silver Band and nostalgia fans will be able to take a 1976 double decker bus ride to North Ormesby and the Transporter Bridge. For children, the entertainment includes pony rides, a climbing wall, bouncy castles, Punch and Judy, KMX Karts, circus skills and a boxing ring which are all free to play on.

As this is an event that the town rallies around, there will also be practical demonstrations to improve awareness and safety: The Fire Brigade will be in attendance with their chip pan fire demonstration. Also, St John’s Ambulance and Cleveland Police will also have vehicles on display.

This year’s Town Meal takes place on Saturday 14th September, from 12pm to 4pm in Centre Square, Middlesbrough (Located between the Town Hall and MIMA, opposite the Holiday Inn Express.