THE YORKSHIRE Dales is gearing up to celebrate all things cheese for the second time with the return of its festival dedicated to the food.
The Yorkshire Dales Cheese Festival will take place between September 15-23, with events taking place throughout the area.
Wensleydale Creamery at Hawes will set the celebrations rolling with its two-day mini Cheese Festival on September 15 and 16, offering 35 stalls of local produce and all-things-cheese as well as cookery demonstrations, tastings and pairings, butter making and live music.
From this hub visitors can then spend time over the coming days enjoying the delights of cheese while taking in the scenic landscape at 20 spots, stretching from Sedbergh and Bolton Castle on the northern edge of the Yorkshire Dales through to Pateley Bridge and Masham in Nidderdale.
These include tastings and a cheese and wine evening at The Churchmouse at Barbon near Kirkby Lonsdale, guided walks from Hawes and Askrigg complete with visits to local dairy farms, and a delve into Victorian cheese-making at the Dales Countryside Museum.
On September 22 to close the whole food celebration there will be a new Beer and Beef Festival at Brymor Ice-cream near Masham featuring locally-reared Dexter beef and locally-produced ales with an eclectic mix of live music and entertainment.
While Yorkshire-produced cheese will take top billing, the vast array of locally-produced food will also be celebrated as restaurants, cafés, shops, visitor attractions and dairy specialists hold everything from talks, demonstrations and savoury afternoon teas through to six-course gourmet tasting menus.
Helen Dalton, destination co-ordinator for the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority commented: “Yorkshire has some fine cheeses, delicious produce and recipes that taste all the better when consumed in the stunning Dales surroundings.
“The Festival won’t just be about eating though, as talks and sporty endeavours are also being planned that will pay homage to our fromage and Yorkshire’s heritage for cheese-making.”
More information including the programme details will be available soon on www.yorkshiredales.org.uk/cheese-festival
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