Yorkshire's Capital of Food - Malton Foodfest

   This weekend I decided to drive up to Malton, North Yorkshire, midway between York and Scarborough, for a food festival at a place acclaimed to be Yorkshire's food capital. A steady 80 minute drive up the M1 and A64 from Sheffield through brilliant yellow fields of rapeseed took us to the medieval market town, situated in idyllic countryside just south of the North York Moors National Park and 20 miles inland from the North Sea coastline. With the promise of plenty of stalls selling locally produced goodies, freshly cooked and baked treats and an array of continental sellers flogging their country's delicacies I thought it would be wise to skip breakfast to allow more room for tasting! I'm happy to say that it was well worth starving myself for.

Before the main crowds arrived.

   After parking up in the main car park, just a stones throw away from the centre of the town, I was happy to find that the parking was just 1.50GBP for the entire day, plus the toilets were free, something that is becoming all too rare nowadays. This put me in a good mood from the start and convinced me that drinking at the beer tent would now be a relatively cheap and consequence free (ish) experience. Having sat patiently salivating in the car journey on the way North in anticipation of the bounty of food on offer my brother and I decided it wise to start with locally reared venison from ROUND GREEN Farm in the form of a burger. We'd arrived about 10am and having strolled into the market area the sizzling venison on the grill and the smoky smell enticed me to look no further. Topped with crispy onions, cheese, tomato relish and finished on a white breadcake, I couldn't have asked for a better way to start our Malton food experience. Ironically, the farm is located only 6 miles from my home in South Yorkshire so fortunately for me I will have the chance of buying this venison again without having the travel far.

St. Michael's Anglican Church

   The square, encircling St. Michael's Anglican church, was bustling on all sides with stalls selling everything from cheese, meats, locally grown fruit and vegetables, fresh bread, pies, oils, regionally brewed alcohol to continental delights such as baklava, pastas and confectionery, all intermingled between grills and stoves cooking a variety of worldwide street foods such as burgers, nachos, hotdogs, hog roasts, Thai cuisine or for the sweet tooth Spanish churros and French crepes. All this combined with musicians, whether it be the orchestra or drummers that played on the main stage or the young talented artists that sang, guitar in hand, on any unoccupied corner gave a really festival atmosphere to what proved to exceed all expectation. Although we didn't buy tickets to some of the events of the day, cookery classes were available along side internationally renowned chefs, live demonstrations took place to provide the intrigued amateur chef with tips and advice, book signings and interviews and tasting sessions progressed as the day went on. The crowds bustled through the cobbled North Yorkshire streets as the town crier rang his bell in his eighteenth century attire. But most impressive of all the attractions and chaos was the outside bar!

The beer tent

   During the day we spent the majority of our time camped beside a large beer barrel table, pint glass in hand, sampling the local breweries creation. Brass Castle Brewery, situated in Malton, one of two responsible with quenching our thirst, whether it be the pint of Tail Gunner or Malton Amber, or a glass of Northern Monk from the Leeds based distillery, each with its own distinct colouration, aroma and taste. From here we had the music of the main stage echoing through the pavilion and the vociferous crowd of beer connoisseurs, as every man is when he's surpassed three pints. At 3.50GBP per pint there was very little excuse not to be drinking outside in the glorious early summer sun. It was time to get some more food to soak up all that beer.
   As a lover of Latin American/Spanish food we opted to test two stalls, one for something savoury, one for something sweet. El Kantina provided us with a large portion of its 'Ninja Nachos', a combination of crispy tortilla chips lathered in cheese, tangy tomato salsa and juicy pulled pork, topped with chopped hot jalapenos. A mix of Mexican and Southern State street food classics all produced freshly from the fields and farms of Yorkshire created a unsurprisingly delicious snack. El Kantina, like most of the other mobile stalls, are available for hire at events and parties so please do check them out online. Travelling back into Europe, or the next stall along, we bought one of my current favourite dessert, churros. This is fried dough in a stick like shape powdered with cinnamon sugar with an accompanying pot of either chocolate or caramel sauce. If every there was a reason to stop keeping fit and healthy and just give in to greed and gluttony it's for churros! Like El Kantina, Senor Churro is also available for hire, they also sell hot drinks and create their food with as many fairtrade products as possible, another great reason to give in to the temptations.

Yorkshire Dales Real Food stall.

    We finished our Malton Food Festival trip with another stroll around the square and a bit of present shopping for the family. We bought a chilli plant from 'Yorkshire Chilies', producing a variety of bullet shaped jalapeno that can be eaten when green (mild) or when red (hot), we purchased healthy sugar free walnut granola for our health conscience mum from Yorkshire Dales Real Food, something she's given the thumbs up to and is almost gone after 2 days, plus a unique shape of pasta made in 'Yara's Kitchen' by Etruscany. I could quite easily have spent a small fortune on so much more as we were drawn to nearly every market stall by the most amazing incenses, blends and charismatic sellers.
   Malton has it's major food festival once a year and it is definitely an event I will be going back to in 2016 and recommend it highly. They also have a monthly market that can be found at www.maltonyorkshire.co.uk for anyone who is looking for a day out. I am home now, weighing slightly more, having an ever higher expectation of ingredients and conceding that Malton probably does deserve the title of Yorkshire's food capital.

A cabbage and leek cow. Healthy but doesn't provide a good steak.

Rich

Roche Abbey, South Yorkshire

Imagine this scenario. You are told by your boss that you have a business trip to the UK. You've never been before so you are understandably excited and it's a three day trip so surely you can take in the sights. You're already planning to pose inside a red telephone box in front of Big Ben, hit Piccadilly Circus at night and tell all your friends you've had tea with the Queen. Then your boss tells you that you aren't going to London. You try to stay optimistic, you could take an Old Trafford tour if it's Manchester or enjoy the 'City of Culture' and see the Beatles museum if you're based in Liverpool. Then you are informed it's Yorkshire. You can't believe your luck, God's Country! Then, as if you have just been punched in the stomach by Tyson in his prime, your boss mutters 'Rotherham'. Rotherham!? You could watch Rotherham United Football Club said no tourist ever. Do you feel annoyed? Gobsmacked? Confused? Either way, you need somewhere to venture close by, preferably somewhere that's iconic and will calm you down after your disappointment at being sent to 'Rovrum'. Fortunately, I have the answer.

   Just 10 minutes from the A1(M) and M18, Roche Abbey is set in a beautifully landscaped valley a few miles from Maltby, South Yorkshire. After driving along a country road my SatNav took me onto a one lane cobbled track through a wood at which point the signal cut out and told me to do a U-turn. After proceeding down a hill, almost shaking my car to pieces, I arrived in an opening and parked up. The first thing that greets you is a gatehouse which I unfortunately didn't snap a photograph of. This is divided into two gateways, one for carts and the other for pedestrians, in which the monks also distributed food through to the less fortunate of the time. I further found out that the weathered figures of entrance were exceptionally rare for a Cistercian Abbey as images were prohibited on holy buildings. The day was glorious, not a cloud in the sky and having visited midday on a Friday it was empty other than myself. After going through the site shop, owned by English Heritage and costing 3.80GBP, I entered the grounds of which were so serene and tranquil that it still felt spiritual despite being long abandoned and dilapidated. 

   Roche Abbey's surroundings were further landscaped in the 18th century to enhance the aura that the abbey exudes. Two streams also flow through the foundations, creating a halcyon atmosphere as the trickle of water further adds to the soothing environment of the whole scene. The abbey used to be dived into two living quarters, the monks, numbering 150 in its prime, occupied the east and the lay brothers abode in the west.  The only part of the abbey that has survived to any significant height are the transepts which are still viewed as important evidence of Gothic ruins for the North of England. What makes Roche Abbey somewhat unique is that Yorkshire monasteries tended to extend their buildings as required with the growth of its population but Roche maintained its original construction leading to the remains which are left behind now near enough all original, over 800 years old. 

   I spent about 45 minutes strolling around the ruins, over the stream, taking photographs of the columns and ruinous stonework and generally enjoying the peace and quiet. Whether or not you take pleasure in visiting religious or historic sites it's hard to not appreciate how large the monastery would have been as a structure built in the twelfth century, considering it is an example of a modestly sized church. It was Gothic inspired and takes a lot of influence from the French built abbeys of the time as oppose to the Roman style versions. Only 15 minutes from Rotherham town centre, Roche Abbey is a place worth seeing as a part of a day out, whether you're a seasoned historical traveler or just fancy somewhere different to have a picnic on a sunny day. 

For any further information, check out the English Heritage website. Conisborough Castle is also nearby if you fancy something different.

Richard

TwentyToesUK