The York Food Festival offers a series of FREE cookery workshops, which are designed to provide visitors with an opportunity to learn new culinary skills and how food is made.
The workshops are open to all ages and held at the Museum Gardens, and St. Crux Hall.
(and also home to our Schools Workshop programme, where we welcome over 1000 children to participate over the 5 weekdays)
Opening times for public:
Friday 19th 3pm to 5 pm in St Crux only
Monday to Thursday – 3pm to 4pm
Second Friday – 2pm to 4pm
Both Weekends (Sat & Sun) – 10am to 4pm
At the minimum, there are six workshops available, covering a range of themes including bread making, pasta making, vegan dips, and smoking your own food. New workshop themes will be added in for 2025, ensuring that there is always something new to learn and discover at the festival.
The workshops are interactive and hands-on, providing participants with an opportunity to get involved in the cooking process and learn by doing. The workshops are suitable for all ages, and experienced instructors are on hand to provide guidance and support.
The York Food Festival is always on the lookout for talented volunteers to work with the public by delivering workshops. If you are someone who has a passion for cooking and wants to give back to the community, then we encourage you to consider volunteering with us. If interested, please fill out our online form
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 extensive free food education programme for all visitors to the festival.
Please consider making a donation to support this programme and keep it running.
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.
Running daily at York Food Festival and part of the York Chocolate Bar Challenge, join York Cocoa Works to craft your own little chocolate bar.
Explore the chocolate making history of York and create your own mini Chocolate Bar!
Pre-booking available – 10.00, 10.30, 11.00, 11.30, 12.00, 12.30, 1.30, 2.00, 2.30, 3.00, 3.30 (4pm on Saturday and Sundays)
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.
Daily – 2.30pm and 4pm
25% Discount for York Food Festival
– Quote “YORKFOODFEST25”
Discover Chocolate History & Make Your Own Truffles!
Available daily between 3.30pm-5.30pm
Begin your journey with our Classic Guided Tour, where you’ll:
Explore the rich history of chocolate, from its ancient origins to its transformation into today’s indulgent treat.
Learn the art of chocolate tasting like a connoisseur.
Dive into York’s chocolate-making heritage, discovering the stories behind its famous confectionery families.
At the end of your tour, enjoy an additional 15 minutes of hands-on chocolate making, where you’ll:
Roll four decadent ganache-filled truffles in the finest Belgian couverture chocolate.
Personalise and package your creations to take home as a sweet memento.
Learn how to craft your own beautiful box of hand made chocolate truffles to your own favourite recipe.
Chocolate Truffle Making Masterclass
Ganache is a perfect balance of chocolate and cream, at the York Cocoa Works we work with ganache to create a whole range of different flavours and textures. During our Chocolate Truffle Masterclass we’ll share the secrets to be able to create exciting and perfect flavour combinations for your ganache that can be used in a range of recipes to different effect.
During the workshop you will:
Learn how to make water, alcohol and cream based ganache
By the end of this workshop you will be able to recognise and correct split ganache
You should be able to identify ways to effectively manage your environment to achieve perfect ganache.
You learn how ganache can be used in truffles, filled chocolates, filled tarts & sauces..
You will beautifully wrap your creations to take home and enjoy
Go home with recipes and your newly found chocolate knowledge
What do you take away with you?
Each participant will take home approximately 400g of your own chocolate as well as the recipes and technical worksheets to be able to make your own and perfect your skills at home.
Discover the basics of chocolate making, from working with chocolate to make simple, gorgeous ganache to how to professionally temper chocolate so you can work with it to create a whole gorgeous array of delights.
This is our initial workshop for working with chocolate, it’s a perfect starter for any budding chocolatier or cake maker that wants to understand more about how chocolate works.
During the workshop you will:
Learn how to make your own traditional chocolate truffles
Prepare tempered chocolate for making truffles
Beautifully wrap your creations to take home and enjoy
Go home with recipes and your newly found chocolate making skills
What will you take away with you?
Each participant will take home approximately 300g of your own chocolate creations as well as the recipes to be able to make your own at home.
Yahala Mataam are giving you the opportunity to learn to cook some classic Syrian Dishes with them and then enjoy them with fellow participants.
Fry your own falafel, learn the secrets of the smoothest hummus, craft your own Baklava, then enjoy a Mezze style meal together and we’ll send you home with a goodie bag of recipes and some of the treats you’ve made.
Discover the basics of chocolate making, from working with chocolate to make simple, gorgeous ganache to how to professionally temper chocolate so you can work with it to create a whole gorgeous array of delights.
This is our initial workshop for working with chocolate, it’s a perfect starter for any budding chocolatier or cake maker that wants to understand more about how chocolate works.
During the workshop you will:
Learn how to make your own traditional chocolate truffles
Prepare tempered chocolate for making truffles
Beautifully wrap your creations to take home and enjoy
Go home with recipes and your newly found chocolate making skills
What will you take away with you?
Each participant will take home approximately 300g of your own chocolate creations as well as the recipes to be able to make your own at home.
Indulge in the ultimate chocolate-lover’s experience with York Chocolate Story’s VIP Chocolate Masterclass!
In our VIP Chocolate Masterclass, you’ll delve into the intricate art of tempering, master the techniques of shell making, and learn the delicate process of ganache filling and sealing. From crafting your own artisan chocolate moulds to exploring unique artistic effects with coloured cocoa butter and lustre powder, every moment promises to be a decadent adventure.
Here’s what the VIP Chocolate Masterclass includes:
Hands-on sessions on tempering, shell making, ganache filling, and sealing a variety of chocolates.
Decorating your artisan chocolate moulds to create stunning, personalised designs.
Exclusive access to our tempering tank for moulding chocolate shells and creating a mesmerising chocolate rain effect.
Utilising transfer sheets for layered chocolate designs and crafting additional chocolate mendiants.
Customising layered chocolate bars with intricate handwritten pipe decorations, decorative patterns, and sumptuous chocolate toppings.
Enjoying a refreshing glass of prosecco upon arrival to set the mood for your chocolate-filled journey.
