Discover new flavours and experiences with these amazing Yorkshire food and drink tours.
Getting a peek behind the scenes, learning about the processes and – the best bit – getting to taste the wares, there’s so much to love about a good old food and drink tour. And in Yorkshire, there’s loads to choose from. Whether you’re into your cheese, wine or just enjoy tasting the best delicacies the region has to offer, we’ve got you covered with five of the very best in God’s Own County.
Food Tour of Harrogate
Harrogate is a beloved Yorkshire spa town that boasts a vibrant, independent food scene. And what better way to jump into it than on a food tour? Yorkshire Appetite’s Food Tour of Harrogate takes you to five of the town’s best eateries, teaching you about the social and cultural history of the town as you wander from venue to venue. You’ll start at Starlings Independent Bar Cafe Kitchen, who dish up pizza, poutine and brunch all for your delectation. From there, you could be nibbling on falafel, ice cream or Yorkshire puddings in the Montpellier Quarter, before finishing up at Farrah’s Olde Sweet Shoppe where you’ll get to taste traditional Harrogate Toffee.
Yorkshire Appetite’s Food Tour of Harrogate run on Thursdays and Saturdays for three hours at £55 per person.
Holmfirth Vineyard Tour
Credit: Chris 01 licensed under Creative Commons for commercial use.
Fancy a glass of delicious, locally-grown vino in the Yorkshire sunshine? We can’t promise the sunshine, but Holmfirth Vineyard’s tour can certainly promise incredible views of Holme Valley, a tasting session of three Yorkshire wines and a tour of the vineyard itself. You’ll learn about everything from the history of the company and the different grapes they grow here, to how wine is produced and the challenges they face as an English-based wine company. Want to make a day of it? You can enjoy breakfast, a two-course lunch or afternoon tea in the tasting lounge as you look over the valley before your tour for a little extra.
Holmfirth Vineyard’s tour and wine tasting runs twice a day for 60 to 90 minutes at £20 per person.
Yorkshire Wensleydale Cheese Experience
Discover the wonderful world of cheese with the Yorkshire Wensleydale Cheese Experience. It’s an interactive tour on which you’ll learn about the history of cheesemaking in the Dales and watch the masters at work as they craft your favourites all by hand. There are daily demonstrations, where knowledgeable cheese experts explain the whole cheese-making process – you’ll want to watch out for the sample food pairings like fruit cake, gin and chutney too. Even the kids can get involved, with the opportunity to drive the mini milk tanker and grab a selfie with Wallace and Gromit. Just don’t forget the crackers!
The Yorkshire Wensleydale Cheese Experience runs several times a day and costs £4.95 for adults and £2.95 for children.
Malton Food Tour
Malton is Yorkshire’s foodie capital, so of course there’s a guided food tour, and boy do they pack it in. On this gastronomic walking tour, you’ll stop at 10 to 12 different indies, walk approximately a mile and learn loads about the Malton food scene all in a day’s work. You can go behind the scenes of artisan butchers, bakers, chocolatiers and breweries, discovering how they make their incredible products and tasting their incredible eats as you go. The tour culminates in lunch at The Cook’s Place, where you’ll have a meal cooked with the fresh, local ingredients you’ve collected on your way round.
Malton Food Tour runs every second Saturday of the month for three and a half hours and cost £50 for individuals and £45 per person for couples.
Black Sheep Brewery Tour
Love ale? This is your chance to go behind the scenes of one of Yorkshire’s most beloved breweries, Black Sheep in Masham. Your ever-affable tour guide will talk you through the history of the brewery, the brewing process and what makes Black Sheep’s beers unique, as well as their traditional Yorkshire Square Fermenting system. When you reach the end, you can cash in your drinks tokens for a pint or a slate of thirds in the pub, have a wander around the gift shop and finish your day out with a meal in the pub – the steak and ale pie is a sure-fire hit.
Black Sheep Brewery tours run Wednesday to Saturday for an hour and cost £10.95 for adults and £5.50 for kids.
Cover image credit: Ebby Rebby licensed under Creative Commons for commercial use.
