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What to look out for at the feast of fun that is York Food & Drink Festival

Time to tuck in… Photograph: visityork.org

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Food & drink

York Food & Drink Festival

Parliament Street, and across York

Fri Sept 18-Sun Sept 27

From free

Festival website

Loosen your waistband, polish those tastebuds – York Food & Drink Festival is back!

Over the next ten days the city will celebrate York’s local produce and diverse food scene with markets, demonstrations and a feast of events.

So what’s going down?

New this year

New for 2015 are the Cookery School and the Kids Activity Zone.

York Cookery School, El Piano Cook School, Malton Cookery School and Betty’s Cookery School are running free classes for festival-goers.

These include cake baking, making the perfect risotto and sauces and soup masterclasses.

There's a new emphasis on young chefs this year. Photograph: York Food Festival
There’s a new emphasis on young chefs this year. Photograph: York Food Festival

Family magazine Little Vikings will host the very first Kid’s Activity Zone, found on King’s Square.

Running activities on both weekends, the zone will include:

  • a food art competition
  • make your own placemats
  • make your own pasta necklace
  • create your own arty ‘plate of food’.

Eat our words

This year’s theme is Food in Words & Pictures.

The festival will host a number of cookery authors in the Demonstration Tent including Great British Bake Off winner, Frances Quinn.

Great British Bake Off winner to take part in York Food & Drink Festival

In partnership with York On A Fork, the festival has put together an online cookery book.

With help from York chefs such as Andrew Hill of The Star Inn the City, Joshua Overington of Le Cochon Aveugle and Andrew Hill of Middletons, the book provides a series of recipes to make at home.

With an emphasis on Yorkshire produce, all the ingredients for the recipes can be found in the festival’s markets. Many of the contributors will also be demonstrating their dishes in the demonstration tent during the festival.

Street smart

York Luxury Ice Cream Company pictured at the 2012 food festival. Photograph © Allan Harris on Flickr
York Luxury Ice Cream Company pictured at the 2012 food festival. Photograph © Allan Harris on Flickr

At the heart of the fest is the Parliament Street market.

Just some of the goods you can expect to find for sale are Yorkshire breads, meats, cheeses, jams and chutneys.

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There is also a street food section, featuring Shambles Kitchen, The Donut Kitchen and Smokin’ Blues.

With pop-up bars and street food open until 9pm, festival-goers will also be able to enjoy York’s Little Festival of Live Music in the evening, showcasing the city’s talent for seven days.

Festival director Michael Hjort said:

I’m thrilled to have new offerings for festival-goers this year. The Cookery School classes are set to be a sell-out and the Kid’s Zone lets us cater to food lovers of all ages.