Yorkshire Dales Food and Drink Festival 2023: Celebrity chefs Si King from the Hairy Bikers, James Martin and Gino D’Acampo to attend three-day Yorkshire food festival in Skipton

The festival will take place at Funkirk Farm, Skipton, and will occur across three days from July 21 to July 23, 2023. The event was first launched in 2016 and has quickly become the UK’s biggest festival.

You can come face to face with top celebrity chefs Gino D’Acampo, Si King from the Hairy Bikers and James Martin, who hails from Malton, North Yorkshire, in the big top theatre kitchen. Watch them create their favourite dishes and be ready to learn, laugh and get inspired as they entertain the crowd.

The festival has won Yorkshire’s White Rose Awards Tourism event of the Year in 2019 and was also shortlisted as the Best Non Music Festival at the UK Festival Awards the same year.

There will be a busy schedule of culinary talent across the kitchen stages, along with delicious desserts and Michelin Star dishes created by some of the best UK chefs.

The weekend begins its live music lineup on Friday, July 21, which will continue through to Saturday and Sunday evening with incredible tribute acts from Wannabe Spice Girls, Katy Perry, We Are Champion Queen, Take That Live as well as renowned artists DJ Gok Wan, Pat Sharp, Brutus Gold’s Love Train and The Zoots sounds of the 80s. You have the choice of wearing fancy dress.

Chef and TV presenter, James Martin, said: “Why should you come to the Yorkshire Dales Food and Drink Festival? Quite simply, it is the best food festival there is. I’ve been doing this festival since it started… and it is phenomenal. It is a privilege to be part of it. We’ve got a Big Top and amazing kitchen and people love it. It is the best!”

Yorkshire Dales Food and Drink Festival founder, Rachael Higgins, said: “The festival is quite simply part of my family, we love it!

“Every year our team work really hard to make it bigger and better, coming up with new and exciting things to ensure we have something for everyone. There is always so much to see and do, from fabulous celebrity chef cookery demos to dancing the right away with your family and friends.

“We love welcoming back guests who come back each year, in fact both myself and my husband Andy meet almost all of our campers when they arrive on Friday night!”

There will be a host of activities to keep children entertained as well as adults with a giant sandpit where they can build sandcastles, mini tractor rides, a kid’s cookery school, a petting zoo, princess party fancy dress competition, crafting tent, a mud kitchen and a kid’s disco.

Dogs are also welcome anywhere at the festival and you can sleep under the stars amongst the stunning backdrop of the Yorkshire Dales.

Chef Si King from the Hairy Bikers said: “Both me and Dave have been involved since its inception when the very first Yorkshire Dales Food and Drink Festival was in the Skipton cattle market, and it was brilliant!

“It’s just grown from strength to strength over the years… it’s brilliant, you’ve got camping and loads of food, it’s a proper festival. And why wouldn’t you? It’s an amazing part of the country.”

Standard tickets cost £23 each, or if you want to make a weekend of it with camping and glamping options, tickets cost £75 each.