A Yorkshire Wolds chef will tonight demonstrate how to cook a “real Yorkshire Christmas dinner” – by serving venison instead of turkey.

Ali Bilton, resident chef at the Yorkshire Wolds Cookery School at Southburn, is to cook up the regional festive meal for visitors to The Robert Fuller Gallery in Thixendale.

Ali, who teaches a cookery course entitled Yorkshire Born and Bred, said the desire to cook local produce was gaining popularity with aspiring cooks across the region.

Her menu choice, she claims, reflects the region far better than a traditional turkey and roast spuds.

“Venison is a healthy, lean meat and by eating it you are helping to keep deer populations down on Yorkshire estates. This is both a benefit to the environment and to the wildlife of our beautiful county,” she said.

Tickets for tonight’s event, which starts at 7.30pm, cost £9.50 and are available at robertefuller.com.