Yorkshire Food Captial - Malton - unveils its Christmas market - details and dates

Hosted by Visit Malton, the two-day Christmas food and gift market is returning across the first weekend of next month – Saturday December 2 and Sunday December 3.

A new ‘market hall’ marquee is being introduced with more than 100 foodie and non-food gift stalls.

Visitors can also live performances and family entertainment. Christmas classics and traditional music will be filling the streets courtesy of Malton’s local brass bands and choirs, plus there will be children’s activities provided by Be Amazing Arts.

As has become a Christmas tradition in Malton, visitors will once again get the chance to tour Malton’s Market Place for free on the festive land train.

Emerald the Elf will be making her debut this year in an interactive Santa show complete with Santa’s Grotto in the Milton Rooms. For £5, your little ones can join Emerald the Elf as she gets ready for the most be-yule-tiful time of year.

The Malton Christmas Festival will be endorsing the town’s reputation as ‘Yorkshire’s Food Capital,’ with lots of street food. Local producers will be serving up mulled wine, figgy puddings, traditional turkey, goose, and award-winning macarons from Malton’s Master Pâtissier.

Mark Brayshaw, head of Visit Malton said: “I am delighted that the annual tradition of our renowned Christmas Festival continues this year and we look forward to giving visitors a warm Yorkshire welcome in December.

"The festival is the perfect opportunity for us to show off and celebrate everything our much-loved market town has to offer, and to promote and support local businesses who will be showcasing their culinary creations, tasty treats and creative craftmanship. It’s the perfect way to kick off the most magical month and this will undoubtably be a weekend to remember.”

Entry to the Malton Christmas Festival is free and the event will be taking place within the town’s Market Place from 9am to 3.30pm.

There will be a free shuttle bus service running from a park and ride site on the edge of town with a parking charge of £5 per car. Public transport via train or the Coastliner bus is a 10 minute walk away

Malton is also home to monthly food markets – which return on Saturday March 9. The dates coincide with the month food tours: March 9, April 23, May 11, June 8, July 13, August 10, September 14 and November 9. October has been left free for a possible food weekend.

The tours take in some of the most famous foodie sites in the market town including:

The Cook’s Place

Based in Green Man Alley, off Market Street, Malton’s newly refurbished cookery school is one of the town’s stand-out attractions.

Run by the Gilly Robinson, “Tits specialises in seafood and baking.

Number Forty Six

Oliver Farrar and Gemma Buckett opened Number Forty Six to great reviews for their sharing boards, small plates, brunch menu and unique Sunday lunches.

Malton Relish

The traditional deli and café, offering light lunches, snacks, salads and sandwiches as well as a wide range of ingredients.

McMillans of Malton

James McMillan’s specialist gin and whisky shop is a delight. Now offering a top wine selection too, this is a bottle shop of your dreams!

Yorkshire Pudding Beer Brewery

The home of the iconic award-winning Yorkshire Pudding Beer, Yorkshire Pudding Beer Brewery is one of Britain’s smallest commercial breweries, brewing its beers in a characterful Grade II listed building on the banks of the River Derwent.

The brewery’s Yorkshire Pudding Beer was the winner of Aldi’s Next Best Thing.

Rare Bird Gin Distillery

Owned and run by Matt Stewart, the gin is made on-site at the working distillery and shop, situated in Talbot Yard. Rare Bird is a gin distillery, bar and shop.

All gin is made on-site at this working distillery and shop and they have a gin school upstairs.

Food 2 Remember

Friendly butcher Paul Potts offers a great selection of fresh cuts of meat, poultry, fishcakes, pies, charcuterie and more at this family-run business. Expect locally sourced, free-range, gluten-free produce.

Roost Coffee

Roost is a family-run coffee roastery supplying wholesale and retail beans to consumers, independent coffee shops, restaurants and retailers.

They also have a stylish espresso bar and retail shop in Talbot Yard.

Run by David and Ruth Elkington, the pair aim to offer a speciality coffee paradise with outdoor seating, all whilst offering sustainable, ethically sourced commodities at a sensible cost.

Florian Poirot

Situated in the iconic Talbot Yard, you can find award-winning macaroons, chocolatesand desserts from Master Pâtissier Florian Poirot. This is an unmissable boutique from the UK Pastry Champion and Winner of the sugar Prize at the World Pastry Cup.

The Patisserie Malton

Situated in the heart of the town, The Patisserie Malton is an independent patisserie, café and shop, set in a beautiful building. Visitors can enjoy delicious homemade cakes, and deli delights that are both sweet and savoury.

The Purple Carrot

The Purple Carrot is a gorgeous vegan/vegetarian deli and cafe in Malton with bright colours and delicious flavours. Here you can find a huge array of plant-based dishes, drinks and cakes.

Groovy Moo Gelato

Groovy Moo is situated in Talbot Yard, Malton. It’s where Italian gelato expertise meets Yorkshire cream. Made by hand, in small batches, signature flavours include bakewell rart and salted caramel.

Not included in the tour but well represented are:

Yorkshire Wolds Apple Juice

Located on the edge of the Yorkshire Wolds close to Malton, Yorkshire Wolds Apple Juice Co is a small family-run enterprise with its roots planted in Yorkshire.

The Yorkshire Pasta Company

The Yorkshire Pasta Company makes artisan pasta using traditional methods for a superior taste. Since it launched three years ago, the Yorkshire Pasta Company has appeared on James Martin’s TV programmes and is available in more than 450 independent shops.