It's time to rattle those pots and pans as the city prepares for its eighth festival of food and drink. MAXINE GORDON gets a taste of what's on offer.

ARE you set to ready, steady, cook? Perhaps you are a budding Masterchef, waiting to be discovered? Or are you more of a connoisseur, enjoying the finer things in life, such as good food and wine.

Whatever your appetite, the York Festival of Food and Drink promises to have something to satisfy it.

The gourmand's gala starts on Friday and runs for another nine days.

Among the events in the programme are the Young Chef competition, a forum on healthy eating for children and cookery demonstrations from celebrity chefs Sophie Grigson and Peter Gordon.

The Evening Press, one of the festival's sponsors, is also entering the spirit. It will be fielding a team of journalists for a cook-off at the launch event in the Festival Food Theatre, in St Sampson's Square, next Friday.

Innovations to the hectic programme this year include lunchtime food sampling in the Festival Theatre caf, a day celebrating food for people with allergies and a Child Obesity Clinic, where experts will field questions on the subject.

Getting kids to eat healthily is one of the main themes of this year's festival.

To support this, the Guild of Food Writers will be bringing its Cook It campaign to York, enlisting the help of top chefs, including Alex MacKay and Anton Edelmann.

Among events for children to take part in will be the Young Chef's Academy on Sunday, September 12, followed by a food party with York entertainer Henrietta Rabbit.

Chef Raymond Blanc is to make his debut at the festival, as a judge in the GNER Chef of the Year final, on Tuesday, September 14, in the food theatre.

On the drinks menu for 2004 is the return of the ever-popular Whisky Festival at the Guildhall and the legendary Ale Trail in which participants can enjoy a drinking tour around some of the city's best pubs.

There is also a series of wine-tasting events and special dinners, all of which require pre-booking for a ticket. For full details, visit the website www.yorkfestivaloffoodanddrink.com or telephone 08706 021113.

Back too, no doubt by popular demand, is the Ravishing Roves, where each ticket entitles you to a three-course meal but with your starter, main course and dessert at three different establishments - which are only revealed to you there and then.

Foodie fans can also take advantage of offers from leading restaurants including Blue Bicycle, Kites, Melton's and The Tasting Room, which have reduced rates on lunch and dinner during the festival.

A firm favourite with festival-goers is the chance to sample food from across the world in the various markets taking place in Parliament Street.

First to open will be Deliciouslyorkshire, selling local produce, with the Continental market at the close of the festival.

On the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, there will be a farmers' market, and on the Thursday, world food takes the stage.

Above all, the ten-day jamboree will provide plenty of opportunity to sample foods and wines from Yorkshire and beyond.

The world, if you like, on a plate.

He makes all the pies...

MAXINE GORDON reports on the man putting the posh into the humble pie

TAKE one young Yorkshire chef, add a big dose of culinary adventure and lashings of go-for-it spirit. What do you get? I's Pies, possibly the poshest pasties on the planet, straight from the kitchen of Anthony Sterne.

Anthony launched I's Pies a year ago and already he is making a name for himself - and his product.

His tasty treats offer a twist on the traditional pie, featuring unusual fillings such as Moroccan lamb and Yorkshire Feta with spinach.

All ingredients are locally sourced and are as natural as possible. They are also seasonal, resulting in a variety of fillings being offered for a limited time.

The 27-year-old from Ripon dreamed up his pie-making plan while studying for his food marketing qualification in Australia. Over there, he noticed several pie shops selling the good old British staple but with the freshest and funkiest of ingredients.

He said: "The result is something familiar, like the pastry, but with an unexpected inventive filling, like chicken with lemongrass. I wanted to recreate something similar using only fresh Yorkshire ingredients."

After a stint as a development chef for sandwich chain Pret A Manger in London, Anthony returned to Yorkshire and set about turning his pie-in-the-sky dream into reality.

After perfecting some recipes in his kitchen and getting the thumbs up from friends, family and even the local clay pigeon shoot, Anthony visited his bank manager and eventually set up business in a purpose-built unit near his home.

Now, with the help of two employees, he is turning out some 1,800 pies a week.

Appropriately, the posh people's store, Waitrose - which has just opened in Harrogate and is about to launch in Otley too - is stocking I's Pies, as is Booth's of Ilkley.

Closer to home, they can be snapped up from the Farmer's Cart at Towthorpe, Balloon Tree Farm shop at Gate Helmsley, Elvington village shop and the Farmers' Market at Murton. Anthony would also like to find a stockist in the centre of York, and eventually open his own pie shop in the city.

In the meantime he will have to make do with an appearance at the York Festival of Food and Drink.

On September 12 at 4pm in the festival theatre, he will be taking part in a cookery demonstration with children, teaching them to make a chicken and spring veg pie.

For more details, telephone the festival hotline 08706 021113 or visit the website: www.yorkfestivaloffoodanddrink.com

For more information about I's Pies, telephone 01765 641567

Updated: 09:13 Saturday, September 04, 2004