THE line-up of chefs and cooks for this year’s two-day Malton Food Lovers Festival has been announced.

Regular top-class foodies and supporters of the event are joined this year by two new chefs, both with a prominence that stretches well beyond Yorkshire.

Ben Cox, from the Star at Sancton, near Market Weighton, and Lionel Strub, chef patron from the Mirabelle in Harrogate, will join a culinary cast of award winners and Michelin-starred professionals at the event on May 19-20.

Those also confirmed include James Mackenzie, chef-owner of the Michelin-starred Pipe and Glass Inn, South Dalton; Rob Green, award-winning National Seafood Chef of the Year at Green’s of Whitby; Robert Ramsden of Deli Fresh; Stephanie Moon, chef consultant at Rudding Park; Peter Neville from The Pheasant Inn at Harome; Priya Raman, from Raman’s Kitchen, winner of the Hairy Bikers Best Cooking Family In Britain; Richard Allen, national executive chef of award-winning Create, Leeds; Dan Farrall, The Jolly Farmers, Leavening, and Bettys Cookery School from Harrogate.

Joining them are Sophie Legard of Malton Relish and Anthony Gillham, joint owner and chef of gourmet pub, The New Malton, in Malton Market Place.

The festival also boasts five patrons: esteemed Italian cook Antonio Carluccio and award-winning food writer and critic Matthew Fort are the two latest additions.

They join food columnist and television presenter Tom Parker Bowles, kitchen grand dame, Rosemary Shrager and Andrew Pern, chef patron of The Star Inn at Harome. All five patrons will be demonstrating in the cookery theatres over the two day event.

In addition, Selina Scott takes up the new role of festival president.

This year’s event will feature a two-day programme of celebrity chef demonstrations, as well as more than 100 food stallholders highlighting quality regional specialties and local seasonal produce, an expanded beer, wine and cider festival in the Milton Rooms and an extended Welcome To Yorkshire Food Lovers Taste Trail.

There will also be a programme of ‘Masterclass’ tasting tutorials and book signings, an army kitchen, street theatre and outdoor music.

Festival organiser Tom Naylor-Leyland, said: “Now in our fourth year, the Malton Food Lovers Festival is a real showcase for our spectacular chef line-up, the best line-up of any country food festival in the UK, and the top quality locally-grown produce.”

The Malton Food Lovers festivals and markets are organised by the Malton Amenity CIC.