YORK'S Chocolate Festival is set to return for the first time since 2019 - with a larger event focusing on the city's confectionary heritage.

The event will run between April 14 and 18, including the Easter weekend. The team from the York Food Festival have helped widen this year’s event with the assistance of Make it York.

Founder, Sophie Jewett, of York Cocoa Works, said: "Following two years of sending Easter eggs far and wide for our customers, its exciting to be able to look forward to welcoming so many visitors back in person to this year's York Chocolate Festival."

There will be more than 40 stands in the Parliament Street Market featuring specialist origin chocolates, truffles, eggs, and other chocolate creations. Alongside chocolate specialists will be cakes, brownies, macarons and other baked items. More stands selling confectionary will be joined by chocolate flavoured drinks, liqueurs and other sweet treats.

Alongside the market will be the Festival Bar. This collaboration features The Yorkshire Explorer who will have a range of dessert cocktails to enjoy as well as their range of spirits featuring chocolate gins. Also in attendance will be Zzinga - who will be showcasing their unique Honey Cider in unusual and inspiring ways. The bar includes seating to allow visitors to enjoy hot snacks like churros and chocolate and sweet crepes available in the market.

Every day there will be the opportunity to have a go at making your own Easter Egg as York Cocoa Works will be joining in the fun in Parliament Street running their workshops.

Visitors can discover sweet samples from retailers and other artisan producers across the city. The Chocolate Sampling trail will introduce you to some of York’s sweetest highlights, with a small treat to enjoy at each of roughly a dozen stops for only £3 per person. There’s limited availability so don’t hesitate to get your place reserved.

The team are also "delighted" to be bringing back our demonstration area featuring some of York and Yorkshire’s most talented chefs and chocolatiers at work.

"We are particularly proud to be featuring Ashley McCarthy, from Channel 4’s ‘Extreme Chocolate Makers’, to showcase one of his extraordinary creations with a York twist of course Ashley will be demonstrating how to make a bit of his sculpture day by day, while you can view the finished creation nearby," a spokesperson for the event said.

In addition to the regular demonstrations, there will be comparative tastings of single origin chocolates and for adults, chocolate paring events like chocolate and wine and chocolate and whisky matchings.

Festival director, Michael Hjort, said: "We have truly bounced back better with a both more chocolatiers and a more the diverse program."