STALLHOLDERS can now apply for places at the 2014 Malton Food Lovers Festival.

The annual event will take place on Saturday and Sunday, May 24 and 25.

Festival organisers – who will be announcing more details of the event later this month – want to ensure that 75 per cent or more of applicants come from Yorkshire, in keeping with Malton’s growing reputation as the county’s “Food Capital”.

“We were oversubscribed for the past two years, so we would encourage people to apply early,” said organiser Tom Naylor-Leyland.

Malton Food Lovers Festival was first held in 2009 and has expanded in size and reputation since then.

This year’s festival attracted more than 20,000 visitors over the two days, with leading names such as Antonio Carluccio delighting festival goers with his passion for good quality local produce.

The application form can be downloaded from the new website, www.maltonyorkshire.co.uk or write to Malton Food Lovers Festival, 88 Old Maltongate, Malton YO17 7EG to request an application form. The closing date is December 31.