£150k fund to boost foodie tourism in Yorkshire

By Sophie Witts

- Last updated on GMT

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Thinkstock/Design Pics

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Pubs, restaurants and National Parks in Yorkshire are being encouraged to apply for a share of a £150,000 fund to boost local foodie tourism.

The grant from the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) will allow operators to group together to bid for up to £25,000 each.

It is designed to help communities boost tourism by championing their local food offering.

Elizabeth Truss, the former environment secretary, said: “Food is at the heart of our culture and we want it to be at the heart of our tourism trade too. 

“From forced rhubarb to Wensleydale cheese, perfect pub lunches to Michelin star dining, Yorkshire is home to some of our finest food and drink. I want to see local partnerships take advantage of this new grant to take Yorkshire’s status as a dining destination to the next level.”

Yorkshire is already growing its reputation for food tourism thanks to projects such as the Tour de Yorkshire Cuisine, a map of the top food hotspots along the Tour de Yorkshire cycle route.

The Government hopes the funding can be used to create new tourist trails and schemes across the county championing ‘culinary triumphs’ from ales to cheeses.

Defra’s new fund is part of the wider Great British Food Campaign, which was launched by Truss at the beginning of the year to drive growth in the UK’s food sector.

Sir Gary Verity, chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, said: “I would encourage Yorkshire’s growers, suppliers and producers to bid, through Welcome to Yorkshire, for this funding to continue to grow and showcase the region’s fantastic culinary offering to the world and shout about our Yorkshire food identity.”

This week's Cabinet reshuffle has seen former Conservative leadership candidate Andrea Leadsom take over as environment secretary, while Truss is now justice secretary.

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