For 10 days, from September 16-25, there is an extra incentive to visit York on top of all the really great things there are to do in York already. The annual York Food and Drink Festival is back for its 15th year. It is one of the biggest in the country, and brings an extra 150,000 visitors to the city over the course of its ten days. Naturally there will be lots of fine food and drink from Yorkshire itself, including meat and other game, fruit, vegetables, jams and conserves, cheeses and good Yorkshire beer.
Food festival events run all day, every day, and late into the evening. There are special markets set up, lots of tastings of food, wine and spirits from all over the world, and there are plenty of dinners being organised too. Some of these will take place in some of York’s historic buildings, giving visitors a chance not just to enjoy themselves but to appreciate York’s fine architecture and long and fascinating history. These include the 18th-century Mansion House and the 15th-century Guildhall, which will also host cookery competitions and demonstrations.
York’s 2011 Theme
There will be an extra reason for looking forward to the dinners this year, as the theme for the 2011 York Food and Drink Festival is ‘Dine at My Table’. It’s a chance for the people of York to host dinners in their own homes, and these will include some special and unusual homes. You might find yourself dining with a professional chef in his own home, or be able to try authentic Mexican food with one of York’s Mexican residents. You might have the opportunity to dine with a nun in one of the convents, or to sit down to dinner with the Lord Mayor of York.
There is still time for residents of York to offer to host a dinner in their own home. More information is available on the Festival website.
Free Events and Booking Tickets
Most events at the 2011 York Food and Drink Festival will be free, but there are some events which require a ticket, and some need to be booked ahead because of limited numbers. To do all this and find out more information, with a full Festival timetable, visit the York Food and Drink Festival website.
Bookings open on July 4th, unless you’re already a Friend of the Festival. Friends have priority booking, so if you want to become a Friend first at a cost of £35 a year you can also do that on the Festival website.
Mike Gerrard - Mike is an award-winning travel writer who has worked for National Geographic, the London Times, and many other clients. ...
