Food, Flower & Fun Day
The perfect family day out for the Bank Holiday Monday May 5th
Dozens of experts, specialists and artisan producers will be filling the show field in Tockwith on Bank Holiday Monday May 5th for the Food, Flower and Fun Day.
With everything from a bouncy castle and face painting to archery and a treasure hunt, there will be plenty to keep the children entertained. Meanwhile, parents, grandparents and other adults will have more than enough to keep them busy.
As well as the activities and demonstrations going on throughout the day, there will be hot breakfasts available in the morning, followed by hot and cold lunches, snacks, home-made cakes and drinks during the afternoon.
There will be three marquees, over 40 stalls and a field full of activity.
The demonstration marquee will be filled with experts from across Yorkshire sharing their skills in everything from floristry to traditional cooking methods. A different demonstration takes place every half hour and visitors can pick up a huge range of skills under one roof in just a few hours.
The full programme includes:
One-Pan Meals with Phil Leverington of No Reservations– 12.15 and 1.45pm
Well-known chef Phil Leverington will take the audience back to basics with his cookery demonstration – using one pot and one knife to create one dish. He is an advocate of using local produce and supporting farmers, and will share his top tips for reverting to a simpler, healthier way of preparing and cooking food. His demonstrations are full of education, enthusiasm and entertainment – perfect for a family audience. Phil has also been at York Food Festival, the Great Yorkshire Game Fair and Huddersfield Food Festival, and will be compère at this year’s Halifax Food Festival. www.noreservations.co.uk
Hand Held Bouquet by Elaine Mills from Nicolla Florist in Wetherby – 11.15am and 2.45pm
Learn how to put together a simple yet striking hand-held bouquet using beautiful flowers and greenery. Elaine will share her advice based on the years she has spent working at Wetherby’s Nicolla Florist. www.nicollaflorist.co.uk
Stylish Cake Decorations by Rosemary Bushell of Simply Toppers – 11.45am and 3.15pm
Simply Toppers produces affordable, handmade and fully edible cupcake and cake toppers for any occasion, as well as wedding favours. Owner Rosemary Bushell, who began the business after enjoying cake decorating as a hobby, will explain how to add stunning finishing touches to cakes and cupcakes. She said: “On the day I will be showing how to make a simple rose decoration with bow that will look so professional your friends and family will be impressed. As well as this I shall share some time saving tips and a recipe to make you own fondant.” www.simplytoppers.com
Carnivorous Plants with Peter Walker from Wack’s Wicked Plants – 12.45 and 3.45pm
Peter said: “I will be giving a talk on carnivorous plants, with a presentation – mainly pictures – about their habitat and feeding habits. I normally give this talk at schools, all be it a more extended version, so should be great for families.
“I will have some specimen plants on me, but we will also have our selling gazebo which will have the full array of carnivorous plants that we sell. If time allows I will also demonstrate how to create a mini bog garden.”
Wack’s Wicked Plants has won awards at Harrogate Spring and Autumn Flower Shows, the Great Yorkshire Show, Driffield Show and Stokesley Show. www.wackswickedplants.co.uk
Sri Lankan Curry by Deirdree Morrow from DeeSpice – 1.15pm
Deirdree brings her famous curries to the Food, Flower and Fun Day with a demonstration of Sri Lankan cooking. She is well known in North Yorkshire after visiting local schools and events, as well as selling her spices at local markets, so anyone who has heard of her – and those who haven’t yet – can see her creativity in action. www.deespice.com
Gardeners’ Q&A with experienced grower Ross Burks – 2.15pm
Ross Burks, who ran the popular Brookside Nurseries in Harrogate for many years until his recent retirement, shares his trade secrets with visitors to the Food, Flower and Fun Day. Audience members can ask questions about anything they are struggling with, from growing crops to keeping on top of pesky weeds.
Several charities and community organisations will also be represented, with stalls and activities on the show field.They include:
FACE (Farming and Countryside Education)
Regional Education Coordinator David Etheridge said: “I work with school teachers to help them better understand issues of food, farming and the countryside: I work with farmers to encourage and support their provision for school visits: and I work directly with school children by providing activities and workshops in schools.
“At Tockwith, I will be bringing along Mabel, a full size model dairy cow, and children who visit the stand will have an opportunity to try milking her, and learn about the journey of milk from field to the table. Children will also be able to see a small stone corn mill in action, and learn about the cereal story.
“We will also be trying to press some oil seed rape to see how this common yellow-flowered crop is processed. I will also be running a small competition which children may enter on behalf of their schools. The stand aims to provide hands-on activities while teaching the children (and their families) a little more about farming and food production.” www.face-online.org.uk
Yorkshire Air Ambulance
The YAA stall will offer official YAA merchandise including pin badges, fridge magnets, key rings, trolley key rings and much more, to raise money for its work. The Yorkshire Air Ambulance is an independent charity providing a life saving rapid response emergency service to five million people across Yorkshire. It flies seven days a week, 365 days a year, covering a vast landscape that not only includes major cities and motor ways, but also rural and isolated locations.
To keep providing this life saving service the charity needs to raise £9,990 per day to keep both of Yorkshire\’s air ambulances maintained and in the air. The generosity of the public is the life blood of the charity and without this generosity, YAA would not be able to provide the service that it is so proud of. www.yaa.org.uk
The Food, Flower and Fun Day takes place on Bank Holiday Monday, May 5 from 11am to 4pm on the Tockwith Show field. Entry is £4 for adults and free for under 16s. Dogs on leads are welcome.
