A TEN-day showcase of some of the best street food and produce from our region gets under way on Friday (September 20).

The 2019 York Food & Drink Festival takes place on Parliament Street and St Sampson’s Square until Sunday, September 29, with further events around the city.

Organisers expect 400,000 visitors to the festival as well as 1,000 school children.

The event aims to promote food producers, independent restaurants and retailers in York while providing educational and fun workshops and cookery shows.

There will be time to charge your glasses at one of the festival bars or on one of the drinks trails around some of York’s best watering holes.

For foodies, the Taste Trail will allow visitors to sample some of what York has to offer while there will be demonstrations from some of the best chefs York and Yorkshire has to offer, including Tommy Banks, of the Michelin-Starred Black Swan at Oldstead and Roots; Steph Moon, chef consultant at Rudding Park; master chocolatier Andrew Thwaite; Sharmini Thomas, on Indian cooking; Mat Leivers, head chef of The Star Inn the City, and Dan Toombs, aka The Curry Guy.

Tommy Banks and Roots York will also be serving up signature dishes at Roots pop-up Farm Shop in St Sampson’s Square, while the Food Factory invites people to take a hands-on tour, exploring the production of a number of food items.

York primaries have been invited to attend workshops and demonstrations from local producers and chefs, while the Young Chefs Competition invites young foodies to show off their skills with one ultimately awarded Young Chef of the Year.

Throughout the festival children will be able to explore York and collect recipes from food locations on the Little Vikings Recipe Trail, with one participant chosen at random to win a family ticket to the Christmas show at York Theatre Royal.

Love Your Planet Food Festival at Derwenthorpe Energy Centre, Derwent Way, will be sharing tips on how to keep your food carbon footprint low and tasty.

Eleanor Fletcher, of Riverford Organic Farmers, will lead the Master Veg cooking class in York today, Friday, at St Olave’s Church Hall, Marygate, from 6.30pm.

York Mansion House will play host to Georgian chocolate workshops while York Mind will be presenting live music on Parliament Street. Fossgate will also have stands to visit on the two festival Saturdays.

Entry to demonstrations and the festival is free. Some events are bookable. For details, visit www.yorkfoodfestival.com