THE tantalising smells of ripe blue cheese and truffle Cheddar drifts through packed market stalls in the historic town of Malton.
Locals and visitors alike are queueing up for treats by the walls of the stone church as a brass band plays a symphony.
It is the town’s first food festival of the year and the sun has reared its sleepy head for the occasion. At the edge of the market square, a shack sells local oysters and to its left, freshly scorched pork scratchings are dished out.
Dubbed the food capital of Yorkshire, at the edge of the North York Moors, Malton takes its foodie credentials seriously.
And so do its visitors. It is barely lunchtime and further along the street a queue has formed outside the Purple Carrot, a new-ish vegan cafe. “The cake is unbelievable,” the couple next to me grin. It must be, as they drive from York every month to stock up.
The couple next to them have travelled from Sheffield on say-so of friends. It is easy to miss if you do not know it is here. But that’s the beauty of Malton.
I am staying at Box BNB, a gem of a glamping site a few miles from the town centre. I tracked it down through The Wanderlist, an online directory that features some of the country’s quirkiest, coolest places to stay.
Box BNB is a trio of refurbished shipping containers that look out across a peaceful farming field patrolled by pheasants. Inside, there is a modern kitchen, sofa and lounge area with board games and a log burner, as well as a bathroom and bedroom.