My wife and I have made a bit of an annual tradition out of visiting the Seaham Food Festival over the last three years.
Year one was fantastic, blue skies, not overly packed, duck loaded fries, and spotting Bryony from The Great British Bake Off. Year two? Absolute torrential rain (classic British summer!).
This year brought a whole new challenge. It was our first time tackling the festival not as a couple, but as a family with our 9-month-old daughter in tow.
If you’re planning a trip down to the coast for future events, here is my honest Seaham Food Festival review on parking, crowds, food picks, and surviving a food festival with a baby.
Parking & Timing: The Saturday Lunchtime Challenge
Because we’re chained to a strict 9-month-old nap schedule, we ended up arriving around Saturday lunchtime.
Dad Pro-Tip: Saturday lunchtime is quite literally peak capacity. If you want to avoid wading through sea-to-sea crowds, go either first thing in the morning (around 10:00 AM) or later in the afternoon.
We skipped the official Park & Ride buses. Instead, we parked at the far end of Castlereagh Road and walked down. The weather was mild and generally just really quite nice, good for walking around without being tool cold or overheating. We put a sunhat on the baby just to be safe.
Pram vs. Baby Sling: What Works Better at Seaham?
Knowing how packed it gets, we decided to leave our pram locked in the boot and opted for our baby carrier sling instead.
The Verdict on Carrier Slings:
- The Good: Navigating the dense crowds was 100x easier without trying to push a pram through legs and dog leads. Our daughter loved being up at chest level, she could smell all the food and see all the dogs and people.
- The Bad: When it came time for us to sit down and eat , every single bench was occupied.
Holding a baby strapped to your chest while attempting to eat a loaded burrito bowl is an extreme sport I swear. We ended up having to make an improvised picnic on a patch of grass behind the main stage. We had brought a picnic with us, including cream cheese on crackers which kept her busy while we ate. I had chair-envy watching people who had brought their own folding camp chairs! Genius, why didn’t I think of that!
What We Learned:
• Slings win for crowd mobility.
• Prams win for giving baby a safe seat/highchair alternative when eating on the go.
• Bringing a packable picnic blanket or camp chair might be a great move!
We spotted plenty of other couples navigating with prams, a couple of fellow sling-wearers, and heaps of families enjoying the day.
We managed to escape without any emergency poopy nappy disasters (win!), though we did have to perch on a set of quiet concrete steps next to Cork & Coffee at one point so Mammy could give baby a quick breastfeed.
The Food Breakdown: What We Ate
Now for the main event. The food! With over 120 regional traders lined up, the selection was great as always.
- The Starter: Geordie Bangers – You can’t go wrong with a classic sausage on a stick while walking between stalls. My wife was taking a while to choose at this point, so the sausage kept me going!
- The Main Event: The Jerk Pit – My wife got a loaded Chicken Burrito, and I went for a Jerk Burrito Bowl. Both were absolutely bursting with spice – 10/10.
- The Drink: Coffee – A Honey Latte .
- Take-Home Goodies: We picked up a box of thick cookies from Just a Littlemore Cookie Company, some Flapjack (I’m sorry I can’t remember where we got it but it was great),a Steak Pie and Chicken Pie from Pie Demand for dinner.
Final Thoughts & Survival Tips
Overall, a great afternoon out. It’s awesome seeing Seaham so busy and full of life.
If you are thinking of visiting next year with a baby, here are my quick tips:
- Avoid Peak Hours: Go before 11:30 AM or after 2:30 PM to avoid the heaviest traffic.
- Bring a Folding Chair or Blanket: Seating fills up instantly. Having your own picnic blanket gives you a clean spot for baby to sit on around while you eat.
- Pack a Sling AND take a Pram (if you have space): Use the pram as a mobile base/seat near quiet grassy patches, and pop baby in the sling when tackling the main trader strip.
Great weather, zero meltdowns, and tasty street food, we’ll be back next year!
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