Two weeks to taste some of the finest food from Yorkshire

Running until October 3, the event sees the biggest promotion of British food on our shores.

A host of activities, including the York Food Festival and The National Trust Food and Craft Festival, at Beningbrough Hall, are taking place throughout the county to mark the national event.

deliciouslyorkshire, the Regional Food Group's campaigning brand, is challenging the region to Eat Yorkshire as research out this week shows that 38 per cent of British consumers are expected to buy more local food in a bid to be more ethical.

deliciouslyorkshire's chief executive, Jonathan Knight, said: "British Food Fortnight is the perfect opportunity to highlight the region's exceptional quality and diversity of its culinary offering. By challenging the region to Eat Yorkshire we hope people will take advantage of the range of fresh produce we have on our doorstep.

"Some foods in our region are so distinctive that they warrant special protection. Such products have a strong regional identity, produced using age-old methods or ingredients exclusive to their place of origin, unmatched anywhere else in the world.

"Four incomparable Yorkshire and Humber foods have now been awarded Protected Food Name (PFN) status by the European Union, which means they are legally registered and protected from imitation anywhere in Europe – Traditional Grimsby Smoked Fish, Yorkshire Forced Rhubarb, Swaledale Cheese and Swaledale Ewe's Cheese. Real Yorkshire Wensleydale Cheese and Yorkshire Beer are now in the process of gaining the prestigious status."

Representing more than 600 producer, manufacturer, hospitality, leisure, retail and wholesale members, deliciouslyorkshire challenges the region to consume only Yorkshire produce for two weeks. The Yorkshire region produces 14 per cent of the nation's food, and the industry is worth 8.2bn, employing approximately 53,000 people,.

Mr Knight continued: "If you need some help on how to Eat Yorkshire during the fortnight, pick up a copy of our recently launched 'bible' to the best food and drink in Yorkshire and Humber – Yorkshire's Own Kitchen. The guide showcases deliciouslyorkshire members and their tasty offerings – so, no excuses for missing the diverse culinary offering that's available on your doorstep."

Yorkshire's Own Kitchen, put together with the support of Welcome to Yorkshire, is available in farm shops, cafs and tearooms, hotels and B&Bs, delis and independent retailers, regional bookshops and Yorkshire branches of national bookshops and ASDA, as well as at www.deliciousl

yorkshire.co.uk

British Food Fortnight organiser Alexia Robinson said: "This year's British Food Fortnight is a rallying cry for shops, pubs, restaurants and councils to start planning their Olympic promotions now so that their customers can feast on British food as they cheer our medal hopes to the winning line.

"The eyes of the world will be on Britain in 2012 and patriotism will be at fever-pitch. Food and sport go hand in hand and we want British food to be at the heart of everyone's Olympic celebrations."