THE full line-up for next month’s Malton Food Lovers Festival has been announced with organisers saying this year will be the tastiest yet.

As well as a leading chefs and food writers, including Dragon’s Den champion Levi Roots, BBC wild chef Valentine Warner, Great British Menu judge and food campaigner Prue Leith and Sunday Telegraph food writer Diana Henry, the festival will welcome a feast of local talent, including Yorkshire chefs Andrew Pern, James Mackenzie, Tim Bilton and Simon Crannage.

Festival-goers can try their hand at lessons in Malton Cookery School or attend tutored tastings in the old town hall across the weekend of May 23 and 24.

Great British Menu judge Prue Leith and acclaimed food writer Diana Henry will host afternoon teas, giving food fans the chance to hear tales of their fascinating lives in food.

Visitors will also have the chance to learn to spot a sea trout from a salmon in a seafood masterclass with Harrogate fishmonger Ramus, taste 100 types of honey with food writer Hattie Ellis, learn how to get the spice just right with flavour savant Arun Kapil and take a whistle-stop tour through 4,000 years of history with Waitrose kitchen editor William Sitwell.

The Malton Food Lovers Festival restaurant also returns this year, run by the Pickled Porker, an artisan cider house and Yorkshire tapas pop-up, along with more than 160 stalls and 30 street food vendors.

On Saturday afternoon, Prue Leith will chair the festival’s first-ever NFU kitchen question time, an open debate with panellists Levi Roots, Valentine Warner, Diana Henry, Hattie Ellis and Steph Moon.

Peter Sidwell, star baker and presenter of ITV’s Britain’s Best Bakery, is making his homecoming to Yorkshire just for the festival, and will be running a series of baking masterclasses on the Sunday.

In addition, the first-ever festival party will kick-off at 6pm on Saturday, with reggae reggae headliner Levi Roots and his 12-piece band, as well as a host of local musical talent. Street food will be available along with refreshments from local breweries Brass Castle and Bad Seed, who are manning the beer festival tent from Friday night.

Festival organiser Tom Naylor-Leyland said: “This year’s festival is set to be a wonderful weekend with something for everyone. We’ve got fantastic chefs, fabulous Yorkshire food and our first ever Festival Party. We can’t wait to see everyone there.”

Visit maltonyorkshire.co.uk/food-lovers-festival