The Ilkley Food and Drink Festival will return to East Holmes Field for a celebration of international food, independent drink, live music, arts and charity.
After attracting a whopping 20,000 attendees to the quaint spa town of Ilkley over the past two years, organisers promise that this year's festival will be bigger and better than ever before.
Taking place from Saturday 11 - Sunday 12 June 2023, visitors can expect an impressive array of street food venders, bars, fine artisan markets, live cooking demos and a whole lot more.
Take a stroll through the idyllic green fields of East Holmes Field and be greeted with the smells and temptations of delicious food from all over the world.
Image: Ilkley Food and Drink Festival
After tucking into something yummy, why not put your feet up on one of the deck chairs whilst placing an order from one of the eight independent bars which will be quenching people's thirsts all weekend.
Fancy getting in on the action? The Ilkley Food and Drink Festival will be hosting a full Live Chef’s demo stage for the entire weekend. Working with Zest Charity & Leeds Cookery School, you can watch the region’s best chef’s rustle up a storm.
Image: Ilkley Food and Drink Festival
Each chef will be showcasing unique culinary expertise and focusing on a variety of different ingredients and cuisines from around the world.
Of course after being surrounded by such amazing food, you'll definitely want to take some goodies home with you and you can do so by browsing the fine artisan markets shacking up for the weekend. Showcasing some of the best independent producers from across the UK, tuck into a gooey brownie before sampling some cheese and taking your perfect match home with you.
Image: Ilkley Food and Drink Festival
And it doesn't stop there, across the weekend there will be live entertainment, music, children's entertainment and loads of activities to keep you occupied.
The festival's charity partner is Mind in Bradford who they have already raised over £65,000 for over the past two years. They'll be collecting donations through ticket sales as well as fun activities and competitions taking place over the weekend.
Early bird tickets are available now for just £6 each including booking fee, so if you're thinking of going then save yourself a few quid and book now via their website.
A Sheffield pizzeria has been named one of the world’s best in a prestigious global ranking.
Forbici, the restaurant where all pizzas are served with a pair of scissors, is the only northern pizzeria to be recognised at last week's Best Pizza Awards 2026.
The awards took place in Milan, and are said to be the Michelin equivalent of the pizza world.
Forbici was named as creating one of the world’s best pizzas, with its master chef recognised as one of the top pizza chefs in the world.
It’s one of just two UK pizzerias listed in the coveted top 100 this year.
Images: The Sheff
Forbici opened in Manchester back in 2024, and has since expanded across to lovely Sheffield on Millennium Square back in March.
It was also once named by Marco Pierre White as ‘the best pizza’ he’d ever had - quite an accolade.
Biga pizza dough at Forbici is slow-fermented to create a light, risen crust, before being topped with quality ingredients like San Marzano tomatoes and Italian produce.
It also has a lot of northern flavour, thanks to local specials like the Lancashire Hotpot – a pizza topped with crisps.
And all pizzas are served with scissors, inspired by the pizzerias of Naples, to be cut into quarters.
Master baker Davide Argentino is a fifth-generation baker from Napoli. While his family runs two bakeries on his behalf back home, Davide brings a true taste of authentic Neapolitan pizza to the UK.
Commenting on the recognition, Davide said: “It is a huge honour for Forbici to be recognised as one of the best pizzerias in the world.
“Baking has been in my family for five generations, so this is a really proud moment. In crafting Forbici’s signature dough we challenged convention pushing the fermentation process to the limit. Every bite reflects the patience, precision and expertise behind our approach.
“This recognition belongs to our entire team, whose passion, skill and commitment to the craft of pizza-making make Forbici what it is every day.”
An intimate Japanese katsu bar with only 15 seats is coming to Leeds city centre
Clementine Hall
Chef Fern is taking on another venture, and this time it's all about Katsu.
If you know anything about the Leeds food scene, then you'll know the absolute legend that is Chef Fern.
Her first restaurant, Fern Modern Sushi, is a firm favourite amongst locals and visitors alike. Known for their expertly crafted sushi made with only the freshest fish on offer.
Nestled in the Central Arcade, this hole-in-the-wall restaurant captured the hearts of many foodies since opening in 2024.
This year, Chef Fern set her sights on another restaurant on Vicar Lane.
Image: O Katsu
Tori Nori opened just a couple of months ago, a modern Japanese grill centred around the fiery robata where guests can watch the chefs cook everything from grilled fish to delicious yakitori skewers right in front of their very eyes.
Unsurprisingly, Tori Nori has also been a huge hit.
But there's just no stopping Fern as she goes on to open yet another restaurant in the city centre.
Introducing O Katsu, an intimate restaurant with only 15 covers serving premium katsu.
Katsu is basically a breaded, deep-fried piece of meat, seafood or vegetables. Served with steaming hot rice, shredded cabbage, miso soup and dipping sauces, it's nothing short of delicious and a popular meal enjoyed in Japan.
We don't know much abut the opening just yet, but what we do know is that it'll be located just opposite her first restaurant in the Central Arcade.
There will be no bookings, and the space will feature an open kitchen so guests can watch the magic happen.
One things for sure, if Chef Fern is involved you just know it's going to be brilliant. We'll keep you updated on the opening of O Katsu as and when we find out.
Clementine Hall -
17th February 2023 
