This weekend Friday 1st- Sunday 3rd July, Leeds will be hosting its 6th annual food festival. In past years this event has been ‘Ok’ but has suffered from a lack of awareness and participation.
This year things look like they are going to be bigger and better- with the City Council and Marketing Leeds organisers working to make things more inclusive and interactive.
As a preview to the event, art students from Leeds City College have created chocolate sculptures and portraits of famous chefs out of sweeties. They also made a giant Leeds Loves Food logo out of fruit and veg to help raise awareness of the festival. The sweet sculptures will be on display in the Light until the festival. The fruit and veg has all gone as it was donated to Fare Share. 
As for the actual event look out for a huge Yorkshire Food and Drink Show on Millennium square, with free entry and dozens of stalls where you can try and buy food. Go to the demonstration kitchen to see appearances from local chefs and business owners as well as well known faces including Nicki Chapman, Hardeep Singh Kohli and Jean Christophe Novelli.
At Victoria Gardens you can get a ‘Taste of Spain’ on the Saturday and Sunday and look out for food samples, demonstrations and events at all of the main shopping centres.
Kirkgate market will be promoted on the Friday in the Millennium Square interactive area- learn how to shout like a market trader and how to order shopping by weight.
The interactive area will be hosting Medieval cooking lessons from Leeds University on the Saturday and then on the Sunday Cake Decorating and Pizza making for the kids with Marvellous Tea Dance and Casa Mia.
Lishman’s continue their hunt for the Yorkshire sausage with a stand on Millennium square where you can try the contenders and place your vote.
There will also be whole host of special deals and menus on offer across an number of local restaurants and food businesses, check the Leeds Loves Food website for a full list.