THE coming weekend should turn out to be a gourmet’s delight for visitors to one of North Yorkshire’s market towns.

Malton is hosting its third Food Lovers' Festival - and this year’s event promises to be the biggest yet.

It has grown to a full weekend of events, complete with a guest list of top chefs and patrons including Rosemary Shrager, Brian Turner, Andrew Pern and Tom Parker-Bowles.

The festival includes the Welcome To Yorkshire Taste Trail, incorporating 20 of the town’s eateries and non-food businesses, which will be holding tasting sessions.

There will also be a young chef competition, with school pupils challenged to design a two-course meal with locally-sourced ingredients.

The Territorial Army from the 4th Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment will have a field kitchen in the Market Place, serving curry to raise money for the Army Benevolent Fund.

Festival events will be held in a number of venues from 9am to 6pm on both Saturday and Sunday.

Other events include a farming skills exhibition in Malton Cattle Market with welly-throwing and cutest dog competitions.

Tom Naylor-Leyland, of We Love Malton, said: “The organising committee has really worked hard to put together a real treat for foodies and families and believe it will be the most successful yet.”

For full details visit maltonfoodfestival.co.uk