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Northallerton’s Homegrown Food Festival names nominated charity and seeks foodie friends!

ByEmily

May 2, 2017

Organisers of the Homegrown Food Festival, North Yorkshire’s biggest free food and live music event, have named Northallerton Scout and Guide Group as their nominated charity for this year.

The group has dozens of members from across the Hambleton area taking part in activities such as climbing, camping, expeditions overseas and learning survival skills.  The funds raised at the Homegrown Food Festival will be used to support further activities and provide funds towards a new headquarters and community building.

In addition, organisers are now giving local people the chance to be part of next month’s event as it calls for volunteers to help out on the day itself.

Northallerton’s Homegrown Food Festival returns to the Applegarth on Sunday June 25th, celebrating its sixth year as the area’s biggest, award-winning food and music community event.

Organisers of this year’s festival have chosen the theme ‘The Great Outdoors’ which will celebrate local towns and the countryside, its producers, chefs and restaurants. As well as the popular stalls, live music and children’s activities, this year there will also be a range of bushcrafts outdoor cookery demonstrations from well-known, local chefs.

To build on last year’s success, the biggest Homegrown Food Festival to date with more than 7,500 visitors, organisers are asking local people to get involved with volunteer duties including greeting visitors, selling programmes, assisting local chefs, site marshalling and site set up and tear down.

In addition, organisers are also looking for brave volunteers to dress up in various costumes to promote activities to visitors.

One of the organisers, Nicky Smith, said: “The aim of the Homegrown Food Festival is to showcase local producers, international street food and local musicians as well as offering people some ideas for growing their own food at home and supporting our local community.

“We’ve chosen Northallerton Scouts and Guides as this year’s charity as, like us, they work hard to support their community on limited funds. They offer such a lot for young people and we look forward to having them at the event on the day too.

“We’re a small committee that relies on the support of local businesses and the local community so we really do need willing volunteers. It’s always a great, fun day and there’s such a lot to do behind the scenes to make it a success.”

Allan McVeigh, Chair of Northallerton Scout and Guide Group, said: “We’re honoured to be chosen as the charity that will benefit from this year’s Homegrown Food Festival in Northallerton. Our young people, parents and leaders have enjoyed being part of this event since it started, and what could more fitting than to play an even greater role during the year it chooses the great outdoors as its theme? Relishing the great outdoors is such an important part of Scouting and Guiding, and we look forward to sharing some of our activities with new audiences on the day.”

Over 100 local producers will be taking part in this year’s event with some of the confirmed names including Angels Share Bakery, Bleikers Smokehouse, Brown and Blond, Clucking Pig, Grange Hogroast, Yorkshire Chillies, Kitson Butchers, Weardale Cheese and Chunk Chocolates.

Other activities at the free event will include the popular Tipple Tent serving locally-brewed beers, spirits and wines, a Kids’ Kitchen with fun, interactive cookery workshops for children, two stages of live, local music and the Grow Zone where the ‘Inspiration Shed’ will host local enthusiasts to encourage people to grow their own fruit, vegetables and herbs.

For more details about volunteering, please contact the group on homegrownfoodfest@gmail.com or visit http://www.homegrownfoodfest.co.uk

By Emily