Bank Holiday Monday 25th May and Sunday 20th September

Swinton Park Masham Ripon North Yorkshire HG4 4JH 01765 680900 www.swintonpark.com

This is a new concept for a food festival where gate to plate is given its true meaning, with food served alfresco in the parkland at Swinton Park. A visit to the Festival will be spent almost entirely outdoors, enjoying the natural environment of the Yorkshire Dales, the source of an abundance of excellent quality fresh seasonal produce.

The aim of the festival is to make the connection between produce and ingredient real, as visitors follow a culinary trail throughout the grounds, enjoying a wide range of �tasting� dishes served throughout the day at alfresco demonstration kitchens set up in the grounds.

There are three principal sources of ingredients, all of which will be available to taste on the day:

� Swinton Estate produce such as game, venison, trout, lamb and beef � Wild food growing in the countryside on the Estate such as wild garlic, mushrooms, berries, shoots and wild edibles such as chickweed and bittercress � Cultivated produce sourced from Swinton Park�s four acre walled garden where over 60 varieties of fruit, vegetables and herbs are grown.

Wild Food walking tours are available from local expert Chris Blax (as seen on BBC�s Countryfile), showing us where to look, what to eat and how to harvest nature�s own edible shoots, berries, roots and leaves that grow in the local countryside.

The cookery school chef, Robert Taylor (the Chaine de Rotisseur�s Chef of the Year 2008), will be cooking up a storm in the walled garden, as will other Swinton Park chefs elsewhere in the grounds, all cooking �tasting� dishes of food for all to sample, as guests followed the culinary trail leading from the deer house in the Parkland , via the lakes and woodland to the walled garden.

Celebrated gardener, Susan Cunliffe-Lister will also be in attendance giving tours of the walled garden and tips and suggestions on growing your own produce.

Selected local food retailers will also be in attendance on the day, and visitors will also be able to enjoy demonstrations at the Bird of Prey centre. �10 entrance fee, 4 � 12 yrs �5, 3 yrs and under free. Advance booking strongly recommended.

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All press enquiries : Felicity Cunliffe-Lister : 01765 680944 : felicity@swintonpark.com