ORGANISERS of this weekend’s food and drink spectacular on the outskirts of Skipton are hoping the recent glorious weather will hold out for another few days.

The two day Yorkshire Food and Drink Festival at Funkirk Farm, off the A59 near Broughton, will take place on Saturday and Sunday, and will once again feature Italian chef, and television personality, Gino D’Acampo, and fellow chef, James Martin, also a regular on television, with both carrying out masterclasses.

New this year will be the introduction of three nights camping at the site, and for those wanting a bit of luxury, there will also be ‘glamping’, and well behaved dogs are welcome.

As in previous years, the festival will set out to showcase the best of regional food and drink traders, from artisan producers, to award winning brands and products. There will also be craft and lifestyle exhibitors, tasting marquees, and workshops in making cocktails and culinary skills.

For the children, there will be a vintage fun fair, free pizza making classes, a mini World Cup tournament and a Saturday night kids disco, plus a kids area full of fun activities. Live music will be provided on Saturday night by a Take That tribute act, and on Sunday by Ryan as Olly Murs, with support from bands from the area.

Rachael Higgins, marketing director, at Skipton based organisers, Events By B3, said “This year’s event is set to be amazing. We have two of the loveliest celebrity chefs coming and better still they are both from Yorkshire. This year’s event is set to be even bigger and better than our 2017 festival.”

Free buses will run to the event throughout the weekend from Skipton Railway Station and from the High Street, while there will be plenty of parking at the site itself, which will be dog friendly. Tickets online at: yorkshiredalesfoodanddrinkfestival.com