Yorkshire Dales Food and Drink Festival: More withdrawals revealed after James Martin decision

Mr Martin dropped out of the event, which is due to take place between July 18 and 20 at Aireville Park in Skipton and include an appearance by chef Simon Rimmer and music from the likes of The Feeling and Go West, earlier this week. He cited “circumstances outside of my control”.

The food and drink festival is returning this year under new ownership having not taken place last year. The popular annual event had been running since 2016 and was previously held at Funkirk Farm near Skipton but the 2024 festival was cancelled after the company behind it, Events by B3 Ltd, went into liquidation.

The revived festival is now being run by Cocker Hoop Creative.

But chef Galton Blackiston and disco act Brutus Gold's Love Train have also announced they will not attending the event in recent days.

The latter posted on Facebook that the decision was “due to the organiser's failure to meet contractual obligations, including non-payment”.

They added: “Despite our efforts to resolve the issue, we’ve had to withdraw from the event. We're truly disappointed and thank you all for your ongoing support.”

In a video on the event’s Facebook page on Wednesday evening, Jon Arrowsmith, managing director of The Yorkshire Dales Food & Drink Festival, denied non-payment was the reason for Brutus Gold’s Love Train no longer being involved in the event.

He said: “We’ve not had a great day. We’ve lost James Martin who we were looking forward to coming along. We tried to reach a compromise but we couldn’t so unfortunately he has made the decision. We can’t change that. Galton cancelling, we didn’t even know about.”

He added that it is “incorrect” Brutus Gold’s Love Train had cancelled and alleged the act had been taken off the bill because they had been “abusive and argumentative” on messages.

Mr Arrowsmith said: “We asked them to apologise, they wouldn’t, so we cancelled.”

The act did not wish to comment when contacted for a response to the allegation by The Yorkshire Post.

Mr Arrowsmith added the event would still be a success.

"We have got a weekend packed full of entertainment, activity, cookery demonstrations, cookery schools, masterclasses, 250-odd traders. Aireville Park is going to be packed from 10am to 10.30pm. We are trying our best. When we took this festival on, we knew there were going to be challenges.

"We knew they were going to be lots of things coming against us, we didn’t realise how many things would be coming against us.

"But as a team and working with the council and local businesses, we are going to get this right. We are going to give you a weekend you are going to love.

"We will update you with the new chefs that are coming along, we will update you with any changes to the music. We will give you a weekend in Skipton that you are going to love.

"Please stick with us, please bear with us, everybody try and be nice for a change. Thanks for the support.”

Mr Arrowsmith recently wrote for The Yorkshire Post about bringing back the event.

He said at the time: “From the Lichfield Food Festival to countless other national events, I thought I’d seen it all, but nothing prepared me for the challenge - and reward - of rescuing this iconic Yorkshire event.

"I’m a Midlands lad, but Yorkshire’s passion for food, drink and good times has me smitten. Bringing this festival back, getting us this far has been one of the most fulfilling things I’ve ever done.”