YORK Food and Drink Festival returns for its 19th year this week with markets, chef demonstrations, events, all with the theme Food in Words and Pictures.

The festival markets will span the length of Parliament Street for the full 10 days, from Friday to September 27, with more than 100 local food stalls and a selection of mouthwatering street food, including local BBQ-ers Shambles Kitchen.

Parliament Street will also host the famous festival demonstration tent, which will see chefs take to the stage to demonstrate their recipes from the York Food Festival & York on a Fork Cookery Book.

As part of the festival’s food in Words and Pictures theme, a number of cookery book authors, including Great British Bake Off winner Frances Quinn, will also demonstrate and sign copies of their latest books.

In a special one-weekend only event The Chocolate City Chocolate Fair will take place in the Guildhall as part of the Food Festival. Celebrating York as The Chocolate City, local chocolatiers, fudge and cake makers will be on show on September 26 and 27, alongside chocolate-y activities, tastings and workshops.

The ever-popular Festival Taste Trail and Ale Trails will also make a welcome return this year. Discover York’s best-kept food and drink secrets with the Trails, which will take you on a journey around York.

New for 2015 are the Festival Cookery School and Kid’s Activity Zone. The Cookery School will play host to York Cookery School, El Piano Cook School, Harmony House Cookery School, Malton Cookery School and Betty’s Cookery School who will provide free cookery classes to festival-goers throughout the Festival.

The Kid’s Activity Zone will be hosted by popular family magazine, Little Vikings, who will provide fun foodie activities for kids on both weekends of the Festival. Activities will include: a food art competition, make your own placemats, make your own pasta necklace, create your own arty 'plate of food' and more.

Michael Hjort, director of the festival, said: “We’re looking forward to celebrating York’s variety of fantastic food and drink again this year. We’ve added new events to our line-up, as well as the additions of the Cookery School and Kids Activities. There’s something for everybody to enjoy.”

The festival is not just taking place during the day on an evening Parliament Street will come to life with the sounds of local bands, thanks to York’s Little Festival of Live Music. The festival bars and street food vendors will stay open for you to soak up the music until late.

Evening events will also take place across the city in celebration of the festival. Highlights this year include a Celebration of Food in Words and Pictures evening with local chefs Andrew Pern, Matt Hunter, Peter Neville and Stu Snell. Join them in York’s Guildhall for an evening of fine food, with all the profits going to the British Heart Foundation.

Other events include an Italian wine tasting evening with Karen Hardwick, a very sherry supper with Ambiente, the second York Soup, a Champagne tasting, with writer Christine Austin, Bordeaux wine dinner, Jorvik’s Roaming Supper and the Field and Fawcett Wine Fair.

To find out more and to purchase tickets for events and Taste Trail brochures, visit yorkfoodfestival.com.