MAXINE GORDON meets the man who has put York on a plate for the world.

THINK of the York Festival of Food and Drink and what springs to mind? Ale trails and cookery demonstrations? Market stalls and gala dinners at the Guildhall? Throngs milling through Parliament Street looking for some free nosh to sample?

Now in its 18th year, the festival is firmly established on the city calendar and responsible for giving York a late summer tourism boost, attracting as it does thousands of foodies each September.

Much of its continued success rests on the shoulders of one man: York restaurateur Michael Hjort.

From helping to organise the festival in its early days, he has taken the helm and steered it towards the success it is today.

He acknowledges that he was the perfect fit for the job.

“I enjoy organising events and have a passion for local food,” says Michael, 51, a former pupil at St Peter’s School in York and a history graduate who earned his culinary stripes at the Roux restaurants in London. Today, he owns two York restaurants, employing 35 staff, and also looks after the day to day running of the city’s food festival, as its managing director.

This year, the festival has been split into two phases: with dates in mid summer as well as later this month. This was purely a one-off, says Michael, mainly to allow festival stall holders the chance to hold a market earlier in the year.

For this second bite, the usual location in Parliament Street is not be available because Newgate market traders have moved there while their site is redeveloped. Michael expects normal service to resume by 2015.

Today, the festival is quite a different beast to when it began. Then, it was mainly about attracting celebrity chefs. Now, the focus is more on showcasing local producers and involving residents as much as tourists.

Which is exactly what we can expect from this year’s festival, which will run from September 19 to 28.

“The focus is on York and energising people and businesses in York,” says Michael.

New for this year will be a sampling station, showcasing foodfare from different producers, including suburban ones that might ordinarily miss out from the city-centric jamboree.

The festival has a long history of food education, running workshops for school-age children in the city. This year, there will be weekend workshops for all the family too, adds Michael.

One thing is for sure, festival organisers are not short of local producers to show off in their programme.

The independent sector is booming, with a rising number of small businesses making everything from beer to bread on our doorsteps.

“It’s going in the right direction,” agrees Michael. “There are a lot of small businesses making jam and chutneys as well as bakers and brewers. Recently I met a man on the market who is importing olives and olive oil from Greece.

“Equally, people are making pork pies and steak pies – not just the little shop on Shambles.”

Michael also welcomes the growth of independent food businesses, at a time when York is awash with national restaurant chains.

He cites Bishopthorpe Road as a great example, with its mix of cafes and delis and even an ice-cream parlour. Along with LICCS in town, the city has two gelateria. It’s changed days indeed from 1990, when Michael opened his first restaurant, the fine-dining eatery Melton’s in Scarcroft Road, just off Bishopthorpe Road.

“When we first opened, there was no craft bakery in York, nobody made bread in the city centre and there were no ice-cream parlours.”

In 2001, Michael opened his second outpost, Meltons Too, in Walmgate. Today, the area is a foodie destination, packed with restaurants, artisan cafes and a quality deli in The Hairy Fig.

Next month, Meltons Too will be getting a makeover. It will be renamed Ellerker’s in homage to the saddlery that once occupied the building and reformatted as an ale house, downstairs and bistro on the first floor.

Michael sees it as returning to more traditional “English” roots, serving real ale and bar snacks such as pork scratchings, scotch eggs, onion rings and pigs in blankets, all made on site.

“I guess they could be called English tapas,” he says. “We are getting away from the situation where the only thing you can eat with a pint of beer is a packet of crisps.”


Festival serves up fashion

A POP-UP fashion bar will set up stall in York’s Guildhall for one night only during the food and drink festival.

The ancient rafters of the historic site will be raised with live music and sounds from some of the coolest DJs in the city, says organiser Angela Horner.

Free canapes, chocolate, yoghurt shots from UGOT are included in the £4 ticket price, as well as a Fashion City York cocktail from the Biltmore on the night.

Find out more at www.FashionCityYork.co.uk