IT WAS a recipe for disaster - four Evening Press staff, a kitchen and orders to make pancakes.

Bill Hearld, Francine Clee, Rob East and Jenny Horsley took up the cooking challenge with relish to mark the opening day of the York Festival of Food & Drink.

Under the guidance of chef Suzanne Barwick, from York College, they learned how to make a savoury and a sweet pancake dish, all using Yorkshire produce.

There were a few hiccups along the way, but Rob was judged as the winner.

"I do cook, but I'd never made anything that intricate before," he said. "It was quite nerve-wracking."

Festival visitors also enjoyed the deliciouslyorkshire market in Parliament Street and Coppergate, which features stalls from a host of local food producers and was continuing today and tomorrow.

Updated: 09:23 Saturday, September 11, 2004