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

Swinton Park, the luxury castle hotel in the Yorkshire Dales, has announced its dates for the 2010 Spring and Autumn Alfresco Food Festivals. These are to be held on 31st May and 12th September.

The Alfresco Food Festival concept was launched in 2009, with two highly successful events that ran in the 200 acres of parkland that surrounds the hotel. The concept of the event is to make the connection between the countryside and food real. By serving the food in an alfresco style in a beautiful 18th century landscape, visitors can appreciate the freshness and quality of the produce and the important role that the Yorkshire countryside plays in it.

The parkland provides a spectacular setting, with a Victorian Deerhouse, woodland, follies and standing stones, five lakes and gardens. During the May festival the grounds are ablaze with rhododendron and azalea blossom, and in September the autumn colours put on a vivid show. The restored four acre walled garden also plays a central role, showcasing the extensive range of produce that the hotel grows for its restaurant and cookery school kitchens.

Visitors follow a culinary trail through the grounds, enjoying tasting dishes served at alfresco kitchens en route, with the Full Moon Café in the woodland and an artisan craft area. Guided tours on Edible Wild Food (by Chris Bax of Taste the Wild) and Walled Garden Produce (by garden designer Susan Cunliffe-Lister) are given en route. There is also a Gourmet Retail Marquee, Real Ale Bar, demonstrations from chefs and local food producers, and children’s activities such as falconry displays and pony rides.

Local artists, youth groups and schools are also taking part in a Tree Dressing Competition, the theme being The Green Shoots of Spring. The winning entry is selected by visitors, who are asked to vote for their choice of winner at the end of the culinary trail.

Entry costs £10 per person, and includes a tasting meal, the culinary trail and all tours and demonstrations. Outdoor clothing recommended.

• Gift The Gift Of Time With Your Mum This Mothers Day
• Crackin UK Deals This Easter From Superbreak
• Monarch Increases Flights From Gatwick And Manchester To Tenerife This Easter
• Take The Family On A Diving Holiday To Egypt This Summer - With Tropical Sky Family Diving From £719 Per Adult
• Monarch Launches Flights To Santorini From Gatwick And Manchester