Seasonal celebration of British food gets under way

AUTUMN AGRICULTURAL spectacular Countryside Live opens to visitors at Harrogate’s Great Yorkshire Showground today.

The weekend-long event features record-breaking numbers of commercial fatstock in the cattle rings and an array of competitive classes from sheep to honey and fruit and veg, while MasterChef presenter Gregg Wallace is appearing as the show’s guest.

Nigel Pulling, chief executive of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, said he was looking forward to the 14th annual event getting underway.

“Countryside Live has become an important part of the rural calendar and we’re looking forward to a great weekend. There’s lots to interest everyone, but visitors will immediately notice the importance of food

Our new exhibition hall provides the perfect backdrop. Nigel Pulling, chief executive of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society

and the journey from gate to plate,” Mr Pulling said.

“Our new exhibition hall provides the perfect backdrop for everything food related - from Gregg Wallace of MasterChef fame to the Yorkshire chefs in the cookery theatre, to beer and cheese tasting to hundreds of different apple varieties, with the competitive classes for cattle and sheep, Countryside Live links that journey altogether.

“One of our key aims when we built the hall was that year-round it would become a showcase for British, and Yorkshire, agriculture - whether that’s agricultural machinery shows, rurally-focused workshops for children or supermarket product launches. Countryside Live encompasses that aim.”

Visit our website and see The Yorkshire Post on Monday for full coverage of Countryside Live.