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Theme: Food and Farming

Learn how food was kept on the shelves in the Second World War, discover how technology is helping farmers in developing countries, and discuss the story of the cow.

What's on

Sat
16
Jun

CANCELLED - Cows: The story of a calving season

Due to unforeseen circumstances this event is cancelled. Apologies for any disappointment.

Sat
16
Jun

A Taste of Ancient Sicily: Food, farming and family life

Join us for a taste of ancient Sicily. Starting from the find of a brightly-coloured Islamic dish of the 10th century, archaeologist Martin Carver, filmmaker Louis Carver, artist Laura Elias and a team of scientists from the University of York's BioArCh Laboratory take you on a Sicilian adventure. Travel with them through 700 years and four consecutive changes in regime – Roman, Byzantine, Arab and Norman – and learn about food, farming and family life in ancient Sicily.

Fri
15
Jun

Dinner with Dickens: Recipes inspired by the life and work of Charles Dickens

Pen Vogler, author of Dinner with Dickens, celebrates the food of Victorian England and highlights the dishes Dickens wrote about with such gusto and enjoyed in real life. Join Pen for some fascinating insights into housekeeping, entertaining, and how Dickens’ own experiences of hunger influenced his conviction that the poor also had the right to enjoy good food, drink and company.

Tue
12
Jun

Imagining a World without Food Waste

How can we move from our ‘throwaway society’ to a world without food waste? Our expert panel from industry, policy, academia and non-governmental organisations will discuss the challenges and opportunities of preventing food waste across the food supply chain from farm to fork.

Sat
9
Jun

Space, Traps and Animated Apps

Ecopreneur Simon Holland takes you on a journey to explore how satellites, environmental science and large scale insect traps can be combined with animations to help farmers in developing countries protect and manage their crops.

Sat
9
Jun

Fish ‘n’ Ships: Fishing through time

What can old fish bones tell us? Lots! Everything from the diet of our ancestors to what the oceans looked like in the past. Join us at King's Manor where archaeologists, ecologists and historians from the University of York will explain how people throughout history caught, farmed, prepared, cooked, traded and disposed of fish.

Fri
8
Jun

Eggs or Anarchy

Food writer William Sitwell reveals the heroic tale of how Lord Woolton, Minister for Food, fed Britain and its colonies during World War II.

Fri
8
Jun

Fish ‘n’ Ships: Fishing through time

What can old fish bones tell us? Lots! Everything from the diet of our ancestors to what the oceans looked like in the past. Join us at King's Manor where archaeologists, ecologists and historians from the University of York will explain how people throughout history caught, farmed, prepared, cooked, traded and disposed of fish.

Throughout the Festival

The Rowntree Takeover in Cartoons

Throughout the Festival, 8.00am to 10.00pm

To mark the 30th Anniversary of the takeover of Rowntree plc by Nestlé, The Rowntree Society presents an exhibition of cartoons as they appeared in newspapers in 1988. Featuring the work of many prominent cartoonists including Giles, JAK and Kipper Williams, the exhibition tells the story of the days between April and June 1988 in a succinct, fascinating - and usually amusing - way.

York’s Sweet Past: A taste of success - the Inspirational Mary Ann Craven

Weekdays throughout the Festival, 11.00am to 1.00pm and 2.00pm to 4.00pm

Delve into York’s sweet past and meet our costumed confectioner Mary Ann Craven on York Castle Museum’s Victorian cobbled street, Kirkgate. Find out how Mary – famous for her French almonds and boiled sweets – became a successful businesswoman in a male orientated Victorian world. Then join us as we bring history to life through your taste buds with confectionery demonstrations in the Castle kitchen.  You may even get to sample some delicious sweet treats!

Festival themes