A fun and interactive activity designed for families with children. A self-guided walking tour, answering clues along the way, and finishing with decorating your own Chocolate Bar with York Cocoa Works
Participants receive a guide map (FREE for all) providing a unique and engaging way for families to explore the local chocolate scene, while also having fun and learning new things along the way.
Purchased ticket holders end the tour decorating a Chocolate Bar with York Cocoa Works.
Tickets can either be pre-booked online or purchase at the information point (while stocks last)
Collection of the guide map is from the Information Point any day of the festival from 10am, located on Parliament Street – In front of Claire’s (37 Parliament Street, YO1 8RU)
Last entry for the chocolate bar decorating at York Cocoa Works will be 4pm (Please allow at least 45 minutes to come back to collect your Chocolate Bar once it has set).
Did you know that the York Food Festival is a not-for-profit organisation?
Any money generated (from trader fees to ticket sales) goes back into the festival to improve it year after year.
During the festivals we run this demonstration programme for all visitors to the festival to attend.
Please consider making a donation to support this programme and keep it running.
A self-guided walking trail around the city of York and an opportunity to try samples from some of the best York’s food scene by visiting a range of deli’s, restaurants and suppliers.
We have two Taste Trails for you to enjoy, with each trail featuring around 20 stops to sample the best of York’s food and drink scene as well as a tasting hub with more samples to enjoy.
This year’s participants are: East Trail and West Trail
You will receive the map and guide outlining the various participating businesses, along with a schedule of when each business is open and offering samples.
The samples provided on the taste trail vary widely depending on the participating businesses, but may include small bites of food, such as cheeses, meats, breads, and desserts, as well as drinks, such as wine or beer.
Overall, the Taste Trail is a fun and engaging way for visitors to sample a wide variety of local food and drink offerings and experience the unique flavours and culture of a particular York.
Tickets are limited to 100 per day – You can either pre-book online or purchase your booklet at the information point while stocks last
Collection of the trail booklet is from the Information Point any day between 10am to 4pm, located on Parliament Street – In front of Claire’s (37 Parliament Street, YO1 8RU)
*Please note:
– Some samples will involve alcohol and therefore under 18s will not be able to participate with all of the stops on the trail.
– While you can collect the booklet between 10am to 4pm, each business has different opening times and some will close as early as 3pm
– Some businesses are closed on specific days.
Did you know that the York Food Festival is a not-for-profit organisation?
Any money generated (from trader fees to ticket sales) goes back into the festival to improve it year after year.
During the festivals we run this demonstration programme for all visitors to the festival to attend.
Please consider making a donation to support this programme and keep it running.
A self-guided walking trail around the city of York, with some of York’s food establishments offering a vegan alternative to their non-vegan samples.
This year’s participants are: Vegan Trail
You will receive a guide map listing the various participating businesses, along with a schedule of when each business is open and offering samples.
The trail features around 20 stops to sample – small bites of food or drink samples – which will vary depending on the participating businesses.
Overall, the Taste Trail is a fun and engaging way for visitors to sample a wide variety of local food and drink offerings and experience the unique flavours and culture of a particular York.
Tickets are very limited – You can either pre-book online or purchase your booklet at the information point while stocks last.
Collection of the trail booklet is from the Information Point any day between 10am to 4pm, located on Parliament Street – In front of Claire’s (37 Parliament Street, YO1 8RU)
*Please note:
– Some samples will involve alcohol and therefore under 18s will not be able to participate with all of the stops on the trail.
– While you can collect the booklet between 10am to 4pm, each business has different opening times and some will close as early as 3pm
– Some businesses are closed on specific days.
Join the Festival’s program organiser, the creator of the “Taste Trails ” on an exclusive behind the scenes tour, both within the Festival and some of the best of York. Get an idea of how we make this event work! We will take you to a range of hand picked venues and you don’t need to worry about lunch – there’ll be wide range of samples and small portions included too, both around the festival itself as well as a few nearby friends. There are two tours a day at 11am and 3pm.
The tours will take about 2 hours. All diets can be catered for, these tours are for small numbers and the venues can cope with diverse needs.
Your guide will be Ben Thorpe of York on a Fork, a regular of the Food tour scene in York and one of the festival organisers. Ben knows the foodie scene in York intimately after having been closely involved with it for over a decade, make sure you ask lots of questions and get plenty of recommendations! Tours will take place on the Friday, Saturday and Sundays of the festival at 11am and 3pm.
Unwrap the history of chocolate on a Guided Tour! Enjoy hands-on chocolate making and lots of delicious samples.
Tour Highlights:
Explore York’s Chocolate Heritage: Learn why York is celebrated as the Chocolate City, home to legendary chocolate-making families.
Craft Your Own Chocolate Lolly: Enjoy a hands-on experience and watch a live chocolatier demonstration.
Taste a Variety of Chocolate Samples: Enjoy chocolate in its purest form, sample iconic York treats, and indulge in freshly made creations by our chocolatiers.
Discover the history of York’s beer & pub heritage and much more by taking a guided walk through York City Centre. Each walk covers the history of approximately 12 pubs as well as the centuries of events, people (and spirits) associated with them. The guide is an experienced volunteer city guide.
Walks start from the junction of College Street and Goodramgate outside the National Trust shop YO1 7LG. Tours last for approx. 2 hours and can include an optional refreshment stop.
Join York’s Hidden History for this specially gluttonous York Food Festival walk!
For the 2025 York Food Festival, we’re turning our Filthy, Beastly Tour of York into a Filthy, Feastly Tour!
On this special walk we will uncover some of the mind-boggling historical delicacies eaten in York – especially at royal and religious feasts – as well as the foodstuffs upon which the city grew rich. We’ll also dig (metaphorically) into the filth beneath our feet that has enabled archaeologists to work out the diets of long-gone residents.
There will be porpoises and poo, dozens of oxen, and a startling quantity of roast birds, wine and fish. We’ll explore Roman menus, Viking dining, and medieval royal weddings. And we’ll finish our forage with the story of the reverend-professor who made it his mission to eat everything!
Starting on Piccadilly, outside the gates of the Merchant Adventurers’ Hall, we’ll walk via Pavement, the Shambles, King’s Square and York Minster to finish outside the Yorkshire Museum. The walk will take 60-90 minutes and is suitable for people aged 11 and over.
Discover the history of York’s beer & pub heritage and much more by taking a guided walk through York City Centre. Each walk covers the history of approximately 12 pubs as well as the centuries of events, people (and spirits) associated with them. The guide is an experienced volunteer city guide.
Walks start from the junction of College Street and Goodramgate outside the National Trust shop YO1 7LG. Tours last for approx. 2 hours and can include an optional refreshment stop.
Join the Festival’s program organiser, the creator of the “Taste Trails ” on an exclusive behind the scenes tour, both within the Festival and some of the best of York. Get an idea of how we make this event work! We will take you to a range of hand picked venues and you don’t need to worry about lunch – there’ll be wide range of samples and small portions included too, both around the festival itself as well as a few nearby friends. There are two tours a day at 11am and 3pm.
The tours will take about 2 hours. All diets can be catered for, these tours are for small numbers and the venues can cope with diverse needs.
Your guide will be Ben Thorpe of York on a Fork, a regular of the Food tour scene in York and one of the festival organisers. Ben knows the foodie scene in York intimately after having been closely involved with it for over a decade, make sure you ask lots of questions and get plenty of recommendations! Tours will take place on the Friday, Saturday and Sundays of the festival at 11am and 3pm.
Discover the history of York’s beer & pub heritage and much more by taking a guided walk through York City Centre. Each walk covers the history of approximately 12 pubs as well as the centuries of events, people (and spirits) associated with them. The guide is an experienced volunteer city guide.
Walks start from the junction of College Street and Goodramgate outside the National Trust shop YO1 7LG. Tours last for approx. 2 hours and can include an optional refreshment stop.
Join York Unlocked for a tour of the Old Liquor Store.
Originally the transformer house attached to the clock tower, water tower and boiler house, it’s possible that rum and coffee beans were later stored here. Now a restaurant, floor-to-ceiling original 1920s tiles and photographs of Terry’s factory employees complete the interior design by Banjo Beale (BBC Interior Design Masters winner).
For more information click here.
Join York Unlocked for a tour of SPARK
Previously this site was a trolleybus shed, aviation factory and garage, but SPARK renovated the then derelict land using low-impact shipping containers to create a community space. It’s a place to discover food, drink, retail and social enterprise start-ups.
For more information click here
