The Yorkshire Dales Food and Drink Festival that was due to be held in Skipton later this month has been cancelled.
Following a number of high-profile drop-outs, including James Martin and Rosemary Shrager, the event has been officially cancelled.
Jon Arrowsmith, Managing Director of organisers Cocker Hoop Creative, said that he is "heartbroken" and that they simply "ran out of time" to make the event work at Aireville Park.
The three-day festival was due to take place from July 18th to July 20th.
Jon said:
"It is with a heavy heart that I must admit defeat and share the news that the Yorkshire Dales Food & Drink Festival will not go ahead this year.
"This is not a decision I have taken lightly. We have worked tirelessly over the last year to stage a festival that Yorkshire could be proud of, but there were too many challenges that we did not foresee at the start of this journey and too little time to fix them.
"Last year, we stepped in to save the festival from administration, driven by a promise to make things right for traders and ticket holders who had been let down. Since then, we’ve poured our heart and soul into rebuilding and reimagining the event."
He continued:
"We offered 200 traders a free pitch. We lined up thousands of free masterclasses. We invited amazing chefs and music acts to join us. Every part of it was crafted with love, hope, and a deep belief in what this festival could be, but it wasn’t enough.
"When we lost our original location, the clock started ticking, and even with the best will in the world, we simply ran out of time to make it work at Aireville Park.
"I’m completely heartbroken and desperately sorry for letting everyone down. I know how much this festival means to the community, to the traders, to the ticket holders, and to my team who have given it everything.
"I am so so sorry that we couldn’t make it happen. We truly tried our best, but in the end, it wasn’t enough."
Organsiers said in a post on social media that to reclaim ticket money, customers should - in the first instance - contact their bank or credit card company used to make the purchase.
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