A NEW brand name created to raise the awareness of Yorkshire food and drink proved a great hit at the country's leading food and drink exhibition, Expo Food, at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham.

The innovative brand identity "Deliciouslyorkshire", created from the successful Yorkshire Pantry, has been designed to identify and promote the best quality food and drink.

The Regional Food Group for Yorkshire and the Humber, supported by Yorkshire Forward, is behind the new name which will be seen at the Deliciouslyorkshire Festival of Food and Drink at the Royal Armouries Museum, Leeds, on Saturday and Sunday, April 3 and 4.

This will include demonstrations by Yorkshire's own celebrity chef, Brian Turner, plus Easter-themed cookery; a dedicated kids' zone with entertainers; food sampling; shopping; beer tasting, and tutorials.

The aim of the new branding, created by Leeds design agency, Elmwood, is to promote regional excellence in the food and drink sector, so all products must be of premium quality, be marketed as such, and should not be mass-produced, or they should be made to a traditional recipe using time-honoured methods.

Where possible, all Deliciouslyorkshire products should have a point of difference and be produced using high quality, locally-obtained ingredients.

As custodians of the new, contemporary-styled and progressive Deliciouslyorkshire brand, the National Food Group will have ultimate control over the mark, which will represent the distinctiveness and the definite quality of the food and drink produced in the region.

Manor Born Sausages, Thirsk, is a member and a partner in the firm, Andrew Keeble, is one of the directors.

A spokesman for the company said: "Yorkshire Pantry worked very well for a long time, particularly at shows, but with the interest shown by Yorkshire Forward a new brand name to cover, expand and broaden the area covered by local producers needed to be found.

"We are hoping for great things from the new brand name. It has already started to take off very well."