Taste awards 2010: Search is on to find the finest Yorkshire food and drink

This year, food lovers also have an opportunity to decide who they think is best by voting in a Reader Award poll. Winners will be announced at a dinner at York Guildhall, at the climax to the York festival, which runs at various venues in the city from September 17-26.

This year the festival's theme is Meet the Yorkshire Food Heroes. The festival is working with Yorkshire's National Parks, the National Trust and Yorkshire Wildlife Trust to promote sustainable producers; especially

those whose work helps to maintain traditional landscapes.

Market stands, shared by producers from specific areas include the southern Dales, led by Robert Phillip of Hellifield Beef. Robert's Highland cattle play an important role in maintaining the flora of Yorkshire's limestone landscape.

A stand representing Pickering and the Moors will be led by Philip Trevelyan of Spaunton, organic miller and traditional sheep farmer, plus producers of trout, watercress and heather honey. Individual local food heroes appearing include Michelin-starred chefs Andrew Pern of the Star Inn at Harome, and James McKenzie of the Pipe and Glass at South Dalton.

The awards are open to food producers from anywhere within the county who sell their foods commercially. There is no entry fee.

There are six judged categories:

Butchers and meat

Dairy

Growers

Handmade (jams, pickles, chocolates, etc)

Local brew

Pies

This year members of the public are also invited to cast a vote by taking part in tastings designed to find a winner for the Reader Award. During the festival they will be invited to taste from a shortlist of products from the six judged categories drawn up by a panel headed by Michael Hjort, the director of the York Food Festival. Michael is an independent chef restaurateur of Melton's and Melton's Too, in York.

If you are a producer and would like to enter the Taste Awards, this is what to do:

Enter via the Yorkshire Post website at www.yorkshire post.co.uk/taste

Alternatively, telephone 0113 238 8956 to request an entry form by post.

Your entry will state who you are, what your product is, where it is sold, why you think you should win. The deadline for entries is Tuesday, July 20.

The email address, if required, is michael. [email protected]

Postal entries, marked Taste Yorkshire, should be sent to Michael Hickling, Yorkshire Post, Wellington Street, Leeds, LS1 1RF.

These initial entries will be filtered down by the judges to 10 in each category. If yours is successful, you will be asked to send in your product – or a small range of products – for the judges' tasting session in August.

A shortlist of finalists will be published in the Yorkshire Post towards the end of August, and winners will be announced at the awards dinner at York Guildhall, on September 24.

If you have any queries relating to the awards, please phone 0113 238 8956 to speak to Michael Hickling. The rules: All Taste Award entry forms must be submitted to the Yorkshire Post by July 20.

Entrants should be producers, not retailers, who make their goods in Yorkshire. The products

must be commercially available at the time of entry. The judges' decision will

be final.

Full programme available online at www.yorkfood festival.com

Ticketline 01904 466687.