FOUR nationally and internationally-respected culinary experts have given their backing to the 2011 Malton Food Lovers’ Festival.

Tom Parker Bowles, aristocracy of food writing and presenter of the Good Food Channel’s Market Kitchen, popular television chef Brian Turner, Yorkshire’s culinary ambassador Andrew Pern of The Star Inn at Harome and Rosemary Shrager, TV cook and cookery course ‘grande dame’ have agreed to be patrons of the festival, which will take place on the weekend of May 21-22.

Organisers have also received further encouragement with endorsement for this year’s Food Lovers. Festival from the county’s tourism agency, Welcome to Yorkshire.

Chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, Gary Verity said: “The Malton Food Lovers’ Festival is built on passion and commitment and has grown into an exceptional attraction for visitors to experience Yorkshire’s great culinary traditions and local produce, in a beautiful and historic market town setting.” The Food Lovers’ Festival was launched in 2009 as a one-day celebration of Malton’s top quality local food and drink specialists, producers, chefs, retailers and eateries.

The 2011 event will feature 90 stallholders, highlighting regional specialities and local season produce in Malton’s Market Place.

The popular live action cookery demonstrations will feature surprise celebrities, alongside the region’s most admired chefs, who will prepare regional and international dishes from scratch.

And following the success of its first Beer Festival, a beer, wine and drinks festival will be on the menu to include tastings and flamboyant cocktail mixing, as well as an all-day beer garden. Festival menus and a Food Lovers Taste Trail designed to tempt all tastes will be available throughout the weekend of May 21-22.