Just two weeks before it was due to take place, The Yorkshire Dales Food and Drink Festival has announced that it will no longer go ahead.
The cancellation follows a series of dropouts over the last week, including celebrity chefs James Martin and Rosemary Shrager, who were set to headline at the festival.
Organiser Jon Arrowsmith released a statement earlier this afternoon (Friday), saying he was “completely heartbroken and desperately sorry” to share the news.
The festival was due to be held at Aireville Park in Skipton from 18 – 20 July.
This would have been the first year the event was run by Cocker Hoop Creative, who stepped in to save the festival from administration last year after the previous organisers went into liquidation.
However, the company said they ran out of time to successfully deliver the event.
Jon Arrowsmith stated that they encountered a number of issues in the lead up to the cancellation, including losing their original location.
Ticket holders have been advised to contact their banks to request refunds.
The full statement was posted on the festival’s social media channels.
Jon Arrowsmith, managing director of Cocker Hoop Creative
“It is with a heavy heart that I must admit defeat and share the news that the Yorkshire Dales Food & Drink Festival will not go ahead this year. This is not a decision I have taken lightly. We have worked tirelessly over the last year to stage a festival that Yorkshire could be proud of, but there were too many challenges that we did not foresee at the start of this journey and too little time to fix them.
“Last year, we stepped in to save the festival from administration, driven by a promise to make things right for traders and ticket holders who had been let down. Since then, we’ve poured our heart and soul into rebuilding and reimagining the event. We offered 200 traders a free pitch. We lined up thousands of free masterclasses. We invited amazing chefs and music acts to join us. Every part of it was crafted with love, hope, and a deep belief in what this festival could be, but it wasn’t enough.
“When we lost our original location, the clock started ticking, and even with the best will in the world, we simply ran out of time to make it work at Aireville Park. I’m completely heartbroken and desperately sorry for letting everyone down. I know how much this festival means to the community, to the traders, to the ticket holders, and to my team who have given it everything.
“I am so so sorry that we couldn’t make it happen. We truly tried our best, but in the end, it wasn’t enough. To reclaim the money from your tickets in the first instance, please contact your bank/credit card company/PayPal. Jon.”