CASHING IN ON OUR CHEESE
Drive to capitalise on the popularity of produce
IT IS known throughout the world for its famous dairy produce, earning it the title of the cheese capital of Yorkshire.
Now, national parks chiefs are hoping to capitalise on Wensleydale’s popularity as part of a major tourism drive centred on promoting the region’s food and drink.
This weekend visitors flocked to the inaugural Yorkshire Dales Cheese Festival, a celebration of the county’s rich cheesemaking heritage, which began on Saturday at the famous Wensleydale Creamery in Hawes.
Helen Dale, the destination co-ordinator for the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority (YDNPA), who has helped to organise the event, said: “We have been awarded European funding for two years and we are looking at bringing tourists into the area in relation to food.
“There will be a focus on food and what food we have to offer in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. It is part of the Destination Partnership between the moors and the Dales, which is a project running until March 2019 to boost tourism across four protected landscapes in Yorkshire.
“One of the things we are really good at doing in the Dales is cheese. We thought initially let’s have a cheese festival and focus on cheese, with Wensleydale and others as well, including Swaledale and Ribblesdale.
“There are some really fantastic cheese producers in the Yorkshire Dales and we also have amazing food and drink that complements the cheese, including chutneys and ale.”
The festival also aims to educate visitors about cheese, while showcasing the famous Yorkshire landscapes of the Dales and Nidderdale. Among a host of sampling, making and cookery demonstrations, tastings have been combined with walking, cycling, climbing or canoeing during a programme of events, We also have amazing food and drink that complements the cheese. Helen Dale, destination co-ordinator for the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority. which continues until Saturday. Mrs Dale said: “We want to celebrate everything the national park has to offer. It’s so important to showcase local produce. Yorkshire food is growing from strength to strength and you have got to support local producers.
“When people come on holiday and visit, they look for food provenance. They want that locality. It creates a memory and people want to go back and buy products again and again. Especially when they taste so wonderful.
“Wensleydale has got the reputation, but we want to show of all the other cheeses and produce out there. The creamery is very supportive of that.”
It is hoped the event will eventually achieve the same success as the Malton Food Lovers Festival, which was launched in 2009 and now draws in excess of 30,000 visitors. The creation of the festival created an awareness of the market town and gave a boost to both existing and new businesses.
Mrs Dale said: “The YDNPA realises that food is so important and something we need to promote in our area. Welcome to Yorkshire is supporting it, so is Richmondshire District Council. It is something we are all focusing on.
“The Malton food festival is fantastic. It has become a food destination. We wanted to focus on what we are good at as well, so cheese, but also amazing meats, hopefully we can develop and pronote that as well. This is the first year and we want to develop it and make it better every year.”