PLANS are taking shape to stage a major food festival in North Yorkshire to coincide with the Queen's Platinum Jubilee in 2022.

Malton’s popular Food Lovers Festival which celebrated a successful comeback last weekend with almost 50,000 visitors will return to its more traditional Spring Bank Holiday date next year.

The recent festivities spanned three days from August 28 to 30, making it one of the country’s biggest free-to-enter food festivals.

Tom Naylor-Leyland, festival director, added: “What a way to bring back our cherished Food Lovers Festival – three full days of Yorkshire’s very best food, drink and entertainment. We are very grateful to everyone who visited to indulge in the festival’s delights.

“Like everyone, we’re thrilled to be able to host our events again and championing local, artisanal produce.

The Food Lovers Festival will return to its more traditional Spring Bank Holiday slot next June, to coincide with the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and we are absolutely delighted to announce that, due to the amazing success of the last three days, our Harvest Food Festival will continue where this festival has left off by making a comeback next August Bank Holiday weekend.”

The Food Lover’s Festival featured more than 120 stalls from Yorkshire food producers, live music from local bands and buskers and the Main Stage played host to local culinary talent as well as some of TV’s famous faces.

Headline acts included MasterChef 2021 Champion Tom Rhodes and Benoit Blin, Master Pâtissier and judge from Channel 4’s Bake Off: The Professionals.

The event included a packed schedule of talks including representatives from The Yorkshire Pasta Company, The Whitby Lobster Hatchery and Wath Hall Boer Goats.

The newly-refurbished cookery school, The Cook’s Place, also held free workshops and demonstrations throughout the weekend from knife skills, making your own takeaway and the Yorkshire Pudding Bake Off.

The event was a welcome return to the foodie calendar.

Tom Rhodes said: “I absolutely loved being in Malton. It’s a very different venue for a food festival; it’s great to be in a town centre with so many visitors around, it’s absolutely buzzing here. I think I’ll be visiting Malton again and hopefully I’ll be here at Malton Food Lovers Festival next year as well.”

Benoit Blin, who took to the Main Stage on Sunday and Monday, said: “It’s a lovely place to be on a Sunday at the end of August. It’s nice to see people being able to come out and enjoy some street food and be in a party atmosphere once again. I’ve been to Malton before, as my good friend Florian Poirot has a macaron shop here and I’m sure I’ll come back again; it’s a fantastic place.”

For more information about Malton, visit www.visitmalton.com