Schools Workshop Instructions
Instructions for York Food Festival Education Workshop Programme – September 2026
(pdf for download)
The date and time session that your group has been allocated can be found HERE – Groups Timetable
Arrival Location
Arrival will be at one of the activity locations. This will be confirmed at the beginning of September, once we work out the activity timetable.
Schools Morning sessions
Arrive at 9.45am, activities will start at 10am and finish at Midday.
Schools Afternoon sessions
Arrive at 12.45pm, activities will start at 1pm and finish at 3pm.
Scout & Guiding Groups Evening sessions
Arrive at either 6pm and finish at 7pm
or arrive at 7.15pm and finish at 8.15pm
Activities
Activities in previous years include Scones & Bread, Ice Cream & Butter, Chocolate, Preserving & Pickling, and Herb planting.
School groups will do a selection of 3 or 4 of these activities. Scout & Guiding Groups will do 2 activities. No group will do all of the activities.
All the activities take place in the city centre, at multiple venues:
– Market Hall – Next to Knoops on Parliament Street
– St Samspons Centre – Church on Church Street
PLEASE NOTE:
– You will be informed of your session activities on arrival.
– School groups will move from one venue to another between activities.
Festival staff can escort you to the locations of the activities. You do not need to be familiar with the locations before arrival.
Time has been allowed in the schedule to move between venues.
– Scout & Guiding groups will be at one location.
– If your school has any specific requirements regarding accessibility, allergies etc. please contact us ASAP on admin@yorkfoodfestival.com (if you’ve not done already)
Transport:
Groups are to provide their own transport to and from the event.
Breaks:
There are no scheduled ‘refreshment breaks’ during the workshops. If your charges require water, they must provide their own.
Toilets
There will be no scheduled toilet breaks, please take children as and when necessary. The Festival has event toilets on Parliament Street & St Sampsons Square. St Sampsons Centre also has toilets. Toilet visits should be conducted under the supervision of group leaders.
Health and Safety
The Method statement below includes a basic approach (point 2) that should be adopted at the start of each activity, please read.
Method Statement for Schools’ Workshops York Food and Drink Festival
1. Supervision / safeguarding
The children remain under the supervision of the group leaders at all times. There is an expectation that group leaders will assist the workshop staff as directed. Toilet visits should be conducted under the supervision of group leaders.
2. List of participants
Please make sure each group leaders has a list of names of the children in their group.
3. Basic methodology for the workshops:
– A schedule of workshops will be given on arrival
– The groups will be divided into parties of approx 15
– On moving to a new workshop station, the following procedure should be followed:
a. Children are advised not to lean on the tables and not to touch food or materials.
b. Group leaders to advise demonstrators if there are any allergies or other potential issues.
c. Demonstrator (if applicable) will make group leaders aware of any specific hazards associated with demonstration.
4. Toilets
– If at all possible, please make sure children use the toilets before arriving at the event
– Consider using any intermissions between activities to take toilet breaks.
5. Coats and Bags
– It is advised for everyone to bring as little with them as possible, especially valuables due to no storage available.
– It is also advised to keep coats and bags on their person.
– Group leaders should ensure children have their coats and bags with them when travelling to the various areas / venues.
6. Health, Safety, & Fire
If there is a fire in the activity areas there would not be a Fire Alarm, you would simply be asked by a member of Festival staff to move to a specified area.
Evacuation Routes and Assembly Points:
From: Parliament Street
Assembly: St Sampsons Centre (Church Street)
From: St Sampsons Centre
Assembly: Market Hall – Parliament Street, outside of Knoops
First Aid:
In the first instance the responsibility for First Aid are the group leaders, however equipment is available in the demo areas. There is a Festival first aider available but not necessarily at the same location as your workshop.
7. Publicity
Local media may attend the event to take photographs, film, or interview students. York Food Festival and other partners involved may also wish to take photographs to be used in promotional materials such as brochures, websites, and newsletters. In the event this happens, we will contact schools on an individual basis for permission to photograph, film or interview their students.
Risk Assessment for Schools’ Workshops: pdf for download