Sun Shines for the Return of “Yorkshire’s Foodie Glastonbury”: The Malton Food Lovers Festival 2023.

Over 40,000 visitors soaked up the sun at the Spring Malton Food Lovers Festival this bank holiday weekend

The sun was shining as thousands of visitors flocked to Yorkshire’s Food Capital for the return of Malton Food Lovers Festival 2023.

As one of Yorkshire’s biggest free-to-enter food festivals, the spring event took place across this Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th May, welcoming over 40,000 hungry visitors to the picturesque marketplace located in the heart of Malton.

Also known as ‘Yorkshire’s Foodie Glastonbury,’ the spring event is the first of two this year, with the festival returning for a second serving across the August bank holiday weekend. With over 100 stalls of independent, artisan food and drink producers, there was plenty for visitors to feast on across the weekend, while enjoying the live music from local buskers and brass bands, plus entertainment from a host of local culinary talent and award-winning celebrity chefs.

Taking centre stage on both Saturday and Sunday, ‘Bake Off: The Professional’s’ judge Chef Pâtissier, Benoit Blin, returned to captivate fans with his step-by-step demonstrations of a Raspberry Financier. Great British Bake-Off winner, David Atherton, also made a triumphant return to the festival with a special ‘Scone Off’, giving audience members the chance to step into Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith’s shoes by blind-tasting two different scone recipes (spoiler: David’s version came out on top!), as well as teaching festival goers how to make entry-level bread, with his ‘easy naan bread’ recipe.

Speaking on the success of the Malton Food Lovers Festival, Benoit Blin said:

“It’s been very busy, and the weather has been gorgeous; the perfect weather for this weekend! I’ve been doing a recipe which I developed a little bit during lockdown which is Raspberry Financier, with a chunk of Chantilly cream. It sounds posh but it’s very easy to do! I’d definitely love to come back to the festival next year, I love Yorkshire, and everyone here’s super nice!”

Also commenting on his return to the festival, David Atherton added:

“I’m very happy to be back. I love Malton. I come from not far away, just outside of Malton, near Whitby. So, I’ve been coming to Malton ever since I was a child and it’s amazing how vibrant it is now, and the food scene is incredible. The festival brings all of the Malton food scene, plus other Yorkshire producers from further afield, all together in one place, and it is buzzing! There are so many people here, so many great stalls, and some really good people to listen to on the demo stage (including myself). It’s just a brilliant celebration of food. You can only come if you love food!”

Alongside these famous faces, the Malton Food Lovers Festival also had an array of local producers, bakers and chefs gracing the stage, with fan favourites, Gilly Robinson from The Cook’s Place, Lee Rushforth from ‘Evolve Your Roots’ and Joe Lofthouse from Harlow Carr Gardens with his ‘Grow, Cook, Eat’ demo.

This year, around 10% of the traders were brand new to the Malton Food Lovers Festival, including Ekoland Spices, a Sri Lankan charity who have recently teamed up with The Cook’s Place to bring fiery Sri Lankan spices to the UK whilst promoting reforestation projects. Plus, Yorkshire Wolds Apple Juice were on hand with their award-winning juices. Visitors were also treated to an eclectic range of street food from regulars serving Greek, Thai, Italian, Plant-Based and British favourites plus a number of new street food vendors this year, including Farsley Fire and Smoke with their ‘proper’ Yorkshire cheeseburgers, and award-winning wood fired pizza company, Fire and Dough.

Fuelled by a passionate community of artisan producers and culinary experts, the festival proudly stands as Malton's flagship event, playing a pivotal role in furthering the town's well-deserved reputation as Yorkshire's Food Capital. Not only that, but the town now has the royal stamp of approval, with Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla recently visiting Talbot Yard in April 2023, where they met with some of the town's most acclaimed food producers.

Mark Brayshaw, Head of Visit Malton commented:

“Well, what a weekend! We were very lucky to have great weather and to see so many smiling faces. The Malton Food Lovers Festival is not just about showcasing the talent and passion of our wonderful guest chefs, but it’s also about uniting food lovers together, building a culinary community and creating unforgettable memories as well as giving visitors the opportunity to pop into the rich array of artisan makers and independent businesses who call Malton home.

“We are extremely grateful to everyone who contributed to making the weekend such a success and hope to see you all back in August for another remarkable celebration of food!”

Find more information about the Summer Malton Food Lovers Festival 2023 here .

ENDS

For further information, please contact malton@hatch.group or 0113 361 3600.

About Visit Malton

For over a decade, Visit Malton has organised and hosted a calendar of food events that has seen tourists and businesses flock to the town, championing local produce and artisanal delicacies which has firmly cemented its status as Yorkshire’s Food Capital.

Now in its fourteenth year, the Malton Food Lovers Festival is the jewel in the Malton crown, serving as its focal point in the events calendar. The festival sees chefs and talent from Yorkshire and beyond join locals and visitors alike to celebrate the very best of the region’s food and drink.