Food lovers from across the UK flocked to Malton this Bank Holiday weekend, where the historic town will be serving up some of Yorkshire's most delicious food over three days.
Malton Food Lovers Festival is one of the country's top free-to-enter food festivals, bringing the county's best food producers to showcase their wares in the self-proclaimed food capital of Yorkshire.
The event is organised by Malton Tourism and will provide a “massive” economic boost to the area.
Mark Brayshaw, head of Malton Tourism, told GB News: “The Food Lovers Festival is our highlight – it's our biggest event of the year, it's been running for 15 years and it's basically a celebration of the best Yorkshire produce.”
The event is organised by Malton Tourism and will have a “massive” economic impact on the area.
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“This will be a major economic boost for the area. Ryedale is home to around 50,000 people and is set to see 42,500 visitors this weekend alone.”
“Yorkshire is a great brand name and this celebrates Yorkshire produce, so if you're coming from other parts of the country and want to find out what Yorkshire is like, this is the place to be.”
The event will feature over 120 stalls and street food vendors showcasing the finest local produce.
Lee Dawson is the owner of the family-run Gourmet Scotch Egg Company and has been selling his products at the Malton Food Lovers Festival for the past six years.
He has six different flavours of Scotch egg on offer in his shop, and showed GB News the soft-boiled yolk of the traditional British staple, thanks to its free-range eggs and locally sourced pork.
“This is one of our Scotch eggs, it melts perfectly and beautifully,” Lee said.
“The Scotch egg originated in Whitby in North Yorkshire and I'm from Yorkshire myself so I think that's great.”
Fellow Yorkshire business Ryan Jepson Cheese offers a wide range of freshly cut cheeses alongside artisanal biscuits and has been a fixture at the Food Lovers Festival for the past 15 years.
Andrew Varley, who works for the family-run business, told GB News: “The Yorkshire cheeses we stock include Yorkshire Black, Ogden Gold and Wensleydale.”
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The event will feature over 120 food stalls and stalls showcasing the finest local produce.
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“More people are buying local and that helps us, but small businesses need all the support they can get.”
The festival's main stage is a magnet for culinary excellence, featuring demonstrations by award-winning chefs.
Jilly Robinson, owner of Cook's Place cookery school, said: “We're showcasing all Yorkshire produce and Yorkshire chefs so there'll be something going on every hour.”
“Our house is surrounded by farmland and only 20 minutes from the coast, so we couldn't have asked for a better location.
“Locally made, locally sourced, locally harvested is all we ask of our chefs. [on stage] use.
“One of the great success stories from the region is the Yorkshire Pasta Company – who would have thought that making pasta with Yorkshire wheat and Yorkshire water would cause sales to soar?
“So that's what it's about – seeing producers get bigger and more successful and promoting the area.”
Hungry tourists travel all the way here to sample the delicious food and enjoy the weekend to the fullest.
One man from the West Midlands told GB News: “We're from Telford and stayed here for a week on holiday. It's a really good atmosphere, everyone is super friendly, there are loads of food stalls and a great choice.”
The festival's main stage is a hub of culinary excellence, featuring demonstrations by award-winning chefs.
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“More than anything, it's the friendliness of the people that drew me here, and the food is just an added bonus.”
Couple Erica and John took a day trip by bus from Cleethorpes, north-east Lincolnshire, to take part in the event.
“It was fun riding the bus and taking in the countryside around us,” Erica said.
“I'm looking forward to browsing and tasting the food and drinks, looking at the pies and all the other stuff.”
One mum, who brought her daughter over from London to experience all Malton has to offer, told GB News: “We're enjoying the food, sourcing local produce, meeting local artisans and having a fun day out.”
But for others, the drinks on offer are more appealing than the food, with one Sheffield woman telling us: “I drink more than I eat so I'll look for gin.”
With so much food on display, it's no wonder this gourmet street party has been dubbed Yorkshire's Gourmet Glastonbury.
Malton's three day family friendly foodie event runs from May 25th to May 27th. More details here.
