COOKERY guru Prue Leith has hailed the Malton Food Lovers Festival, which has been attracting huge crowds over the weekend.

The food writer, TV presenter and campaigner, who has been one of the culinary stars of the event, said that what festival director Tom Naylor-Leyland was doing was a model for every market town in England.

"The concentration on food is bringing life back into the town," she said. "By supporting great producers, he is keeping the lifeblood of the town flowing."

She also praised the town's residents and visitors, saying: "People are so nice here. Malton should be the model for any town."

Organisers were also delighted by the public's response to the festival, with a spokeswoman saying: "There has been an absolutely fantastic attendance. The town has been alive with people."

The event has been featuring other national stars as well as Prue, such as entrepreneur, cook and musician Levi Roots, but has also included the best local talent.

Tutors from Bettys, Lisa Bennison and Jenny Culver, have shared some classic recipes from the iconic tearoom, while Simon Crannage, with over 20 years of experience in some of the UK’s finest restaurants, has brought wild treats from Swinton Park’s walled garden and cooked a trio of delicious lamb dishes.

David Lishman, of multi-award winning butchers Lishman’s of Ilkley, has demonstrated the fine art of sausage making, while Arun Kapil, chef and founder of award-winning spice company Green Saffron, has shown how spices could be incorporated into his cooking.

Other chefs featuring in the festival have included James Mackenzie, guest chef on BBC’s Saturday Kitchen and head chef and owner of The Pipe and Glass Inn, East Yorkshire’s first Michelin-starred restaurant.

There has also been Andrew Pern of The Star Inn at Harome and The Star Inn the City and Tim Bilton, 2014 Yorkshire Life Chef of the Year winner, from the Spiced Pear at Hepworth.