North Yorkshire food festival to spotlight “glorious” local restaurants and suppliers

Yorkshire food lovers are invited to “fall in love with glorious” local produce at a free culinary celebration, hosted by Yorkshire celebrity chef Stephanie Moon. The food event is part funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

The “unique” one-off event ‘Eat Your Heart Out: A Celebration of Local Food and Drink’ is on Friday March 31 in the “magnificent surroundings” of Selby Abbey. It will offer a chance to sample some of the very best local food and drink from the heart of Yorkshire.

It kick-starts the Selby District Residents’ Festival Weekend which runs on Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 April. There is plenty on the menu including live cooking demos, cook offs, recipe inspiration, low budget cooking tips, talks, tastings, stalls and more. The programme also features a “smorgasbord of Yorkshire celebrities great and small”.

Stephanie Moon, chef consultant to food businesses in Yorkshire and the globe, is the day’s host. She will be cooking up recipes featuring produce from stallholders attending including Home Farmed Venison sausage ‘toad in the hole’, a Yorkshire Pasta dish and Cranswick Bacon frittata.

Great British Bake Off 2018 contestant Karen Wright and Mike Cummings, head chef at the award-winning Drovers Arms at Skipwith will also take to the stage, showcasing their cooking talents.

Event host Stephanie Moon commented: “Thrilled to be asked to MC this special event. We’ll have some amazing talent on show - from fantastic producers and a chance to taste their wares, to Chef demos including Bake Off star Karen Wright. We’ll showcase historical recipes and modern Pub classics and I’ll be doing a demo using local fayre.

“I’m looking forward to cooking up some Yorkshire produce in this stunning setting. Pop along for a look. We even have the Mayor doing a ready steady cook and the local choir singing to open the event. I cannot wait!”

Councillor Tim Grogan, Selby District Council executive member with responsibility for health and culture, added: “This event is a fantastic opportunity for local producers to show Selby district residents just what great food is available on their doorstep and, of course, a wonderful chance for people to learn more about the great food available in this area.

“But ‘Eat Your Heart Out: A Celebration of Local Food and Drink’ goes further than that, because it is going to be great fun for everyone who attends. We have been really fortunate to have an enthusiastic team organising this, so there will be lots of entertainment in addition to tasting opportunities and cooking demonstrations.

“Hopefully people will go home feeling inspired to delve further into adventures with locally produced food and drink.”

By Matthew Neville – Senior Correspondent, Bdaily

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