On Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th October, around 120 stalls will be lined up in the town center to celebrate the harvest season.
As always, vendors carrying everything from artisanal gins, fresh East Coast seafood and game caught from nearby moors to homemade cakes and brownies will be on hand at a demonstration kitchen hosted by Malton's, featuring local Participate with top chefs. Jilly Robinson of The Cook's Place.
Chefs confirmed to be participating in the fall event include TV chef Benoît Blin; Benoit Blin returns to Malton to promote his new book, Bake with Benoit Blin: Master Cakes, Pastries and Desserts Like a Professional. Since 1995, Benoît has been Raymond Blanc's head pastry chef at the award-winning Le Manoir aux Catheisons in Oxfordshire, England. A judge and presenter on Channel 4's Bake Off: The Professionals, Benoit is passionate about supporting future pastry chefs. In 2005 he was awarded the title of Master of Culinary Arts, the UK's most prestigious pastry honor, and in 2009 he was recognized as Pastry Chef of the Year.
Also appearing on the demo stage will be MasterChef UK 2022 champion Eddie Scott, who launched his own restaurant earlier this year, Ollie Farrar from Forty-Six Malton, Jon Appleby from The Feversham Arms in Helmsley and York Minster This is Josh Brimmell from the cafeteria. The demonstration stage will be open daily from 10am to 4pm, featuring a different food or drink expert at each hour.
Due to its focus on sustainability, the Autumn Food Lovers Festival will be powered primarily by solar energy thanks to innovative power generation technology. Instead of the diesel generators normally used at festivals, Visit Malton will deploy giant battery generators that will be charged using solar energy.
Mark Brayshaw of Visit Malton, which organizes the event, said the technology had been trialled at the Spring Festival and worked incredibly well, with lights, cooking power and refrigeration available as needed over the weekend. He said he was able to provide it to people.
Mark said: “We want our visitors to enjoy the delicious aroma of sizzling sausages and freshly brewed coffee rather than diesel fuel, so we are very pleased to have secured the use of these solar cells at the festival. This is in line with our ambition to be part of a sustainable tourism economy.
“They operate quietly so people can enjoy a more atmospheric and lively festival atmosphere.
Mark added: “Malton Food Lovers Festival has been described as the Glastonbury of food, but there’s one big difference: it’s free to attend Malton Food Lovers Festival.
“We’re really looking forward to our second Food Lovers Festival this year, returning to our traditional venue in the fall to take advantage of the region’s bountiful harvest and enjoy great food and drink. It's the perfect time.”
The Malton Sculpture Trail will also be part of the festival, with more than 20 artworks on display in the town center and a downloadable map to guide people to the sculptures of animals, birds and abstract designs.
For more information, visit https://www.visitmalton.com/malton-harvest-festival.
