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.
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 in St Crux only
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.
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.
Come down to St Crux to play the Chocolate Bar Game, or pick up family activities from the Woodlands Trust (weekend only). Part of a range of activities at St Crux which includes the Demo area, a café, and the Food factory activities – hands on cookery for people of all ages.
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.
Explore the chocolate making process from cocoa bean to the chocolates we make here at York Cocoa Works, learning and tasting your way around the chocolate manufactory with our Tasting Journey.
Quote “YORKFOODFEST25” for 25% off
During your time with us, one of our expert chocolate makers will share the secrets of our cocoa and how we transform it into chocolate. You will discover our origins and learn the rich history of chocolate making in York before taking a peek into our manufactory and watching our chocolate being made. This session concludes with a special tasting conducted by our cocoa connoisseur. You will sample the chocolate we make from cocoa beans all around the world, experiencing the different strengths and flavour notes in our range.
Following the journey, you are invited to join us in our Chocolate Cafe where you can use your ticket to enjoy further discounts across our whole product range.
What’s your blood pressure?
On behalf of the NHS, a pop-up Blood pressure stand to help people avoid heart attack and stroke by knowing their blood pressures. This is a free service for the general public.
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)
Live wheel thrown demonstrations all day, alongside pots and sculptures for sale
Crafting high-quality, handmade ceramic pots and vessels that blend artistry with everyday living. Driven by a passion for craftsmanship and creativity, each piece is thoughtfully designed and meticulously handcrafted to bring a touch of uniqueness and beauty into your home. Discover pottery that’s as functional as it is artful.
Meet some of the team behind Yorkshire Sea Salt Co. as they takeover our Yorkshire Produce Stand!
YSS are the first salt house to produce sea salt in Yorkshire since the neolithic era. Aiming to reinstate a long-lost local tradition to the area using modern methods of production that have a low environmental impact and produce the purest, 100% natural, mineral rich sea salt.
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.
Executive chef at The Minister Refectory and The Star Inn the City
Minal Patel is the Head Chef of award-winning Indian restaurant Prashad, where she’s led the team for over 20 years, blending traditional Gujarati recipes with a flair for all things fine-dining.
You might recognise Minal from this year’s Great British Menu, having previously featured on shows with the Hairy Bikers, Tom Kerridge and Gordon Ramsay.
Prashad has been awarded a prestigious Michelin Bib Gourmand and two AA Rosettes.
For more of Minal’s kitchen secrets, tips and recipes, follow @Prashad_Veggie on Instagram.
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.
Masterchef contestant Owen returns to our stage with his characteristic enthusiasm and some tasty dishes.
Daily – 2.30pm and 4pm
25% Discount for York Food Festival
– Quote “YORKFOODFEST25”
Sarah Thompson, General Manager at York Cocoa Works takes to our stage!
Chocolate Making – Crafting Chocolate from Cocoa Bean to Chocolate Bar
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.
Live For St Leonard’s will return between 19th and 27th September. This live music event is organised by York BID, as part of the York Food & Drink Festival, and all charitable funds raised are donated in aid of St Leonard’s Hospice. Over the last 2 years the initiative has raised nearly £9,000 for the charity. The events is free for the public to attend and St Leonard’s volunteers will be on-site collecting cash and card donations.
This year’s event will feature two separate stage areas with performances running in parallel. The main stage can be found in the marquee on Parliament Street, and the acoustic stage on St Sampsons Square.
Patrons can expect performances from great local talent, every evening from 5pm!
The line up can be found HERE
An evening to celebrate Kitchen for Everyone York’s 10th anniversary in its original home!
Come view and share “In these Shoes” a film made by Carecent and Nightlight Theatre – a documentary/film to raise awareness and challenge perceptions around homelessness and those who access Carecent in York. Opportunity to discuss with the makers of the film after the showing.
There is no charge made for this event but we ask guests to book and bring a donation of a Pot noodle or 2.
Soft drinks will be available to purchase on the night.
Kitchen for Everyone York (KEY) is an entirely volunteer led registered charity providing meals and other support to those experiencing homelessness or in vulnerable situations in York. If you’d like to support, donations are welcome
