Yorkshire is a top destination for foodies, why not make a day out of sampling the fantastic fare on offer?
It won’t have escaped your notice, but (understatement alert!) there’s quite a bit of food and drink activity going on in Yorkshire, writes Tony Greenway. So much, in fact, that it can make your head spin. From Michelin-starred to fabulous street food; from beer, wine and gin to excellent cheeses, meats and the best rhubarb, seafood and curries anywhere in the country, it’s all produced and packaged in Yorkshire.
So how do you even start to make sense of it all? Answer: you need someone to take you by the hand (although not literally) and guide you around the culinary hotspots of our county.
Below, you’ll find a number of walking trails, tours and attractions that focus on food and drink. Because like I always say walking is all very well, but it’s so much more entertaining if you’re doing it while eating a pie.
Malton Food Tour
Malton has taken to calling itself ‘Yorkshire’s food capital’ — which you may or may not agree with. But there’s certainly a lot going on in terms of food and drink and, for a small town, there’s no doubt that Malton is punching well above its weight. This gourmet walking tour includes visits to ‘butchers, bakers and award-winning gelato makers’ and promises chats with the town’s top food and drink artisans. It takes three hours, costs £35 per person and the advice is ‘make sure you’ve got an appetite and come hungry’.
maltonyorkshire.co.uk/malton-food-tour
Yorkshire Wensleydale Cheese Experience
Cracking! Located in the lovely market town of Hawes, the Wensleydale Creamery features the Yorkshire Wensleydale Cheese Experience, an interactive attraction which takes you ‘on a journey through the art of cheese-making which includes the opportunity to watch Yorkshire Wensleydale cheese being made by our team of master cheese-makers’. The Experience is open Monday-Sunday 10am–3.30pm, and costs the not terribly bank-breaking fee of £2.50 for adults and £1.50 for children. Cheese isn’t made every day, however, so the advice is to check before you visit.
Smoke Signals Trail
Yorkshire Food Finder has created a number of escorted food trails where tour-takers get the chance to sample local food in fabulous eating places like the Smoke Signals food trail, which includes meeting Justin Staal at the Staal Smokehouse in Long Riston and eating a picnic lunch at the Yorkshire Life award-winning Star Inn at Sancton. It takes approximately eight hours and costs £125 per person.
Sentinel Brewery Tour
Sentinel is a Sheffield-based artisan beer-maker, and one of the many brewers in Yorkshire offering behind-the-scenes tours. First, a member of its brewing team guides you around the malt floor and brewhouse then you’ll get to taste some beers, or some beers with beer-matched pizza (depending on which option you prefer). Sentinel also offers Beer Academy courses.
Holmfirth Vineyard Tour
The Holmfirth Vineyard was affected by a devastating fire in October of last year; but it hopes to re-start its tours soon (its website says spring). That’s good news, because this is a popular and educational tour that’s suitable for both wine connoisseurs and novices alike, explaining ‘what the vineyard grows’ (grapes, presumably, you can’t fool me) and how the estate is managed. The standard tour takes between 60 and 90 minutes, and you should bring suitable clothing and footwear, as it has been known to rain in Holmfirth occasionally. Check the website for updates on re-opening times, costs and what the tour entails.
Afternoon Tea Tour of York
Who’s for a cuppa? This three-hour guided tour takes in York’s best places for afternoon tea and includes visits to ‘three unique venues and two top tea retailers and importers’ plus a tea tasting mini-workshop. Expect ‘tea, scones, cakes and more’. I’ll pour.
