TWO big names from Britain’s culinary world have agreed to sign up as patrons to one of the region’s fast-growing food festivals.

Legendary food campaigner Prue Leith and chef Valentine Warner have been named as new patrons for next year's Malton Food Lovers Festival.

PrueLeith is most famous for setting up Leith’s School of Food and Wine in 1975 which trains both amateur and professional chefs.

In her long and varied career she’s run a Michelin-starred restaurant, headed up the School Food Trust, been a food columnist for national newspapers, written five novels and most recently appeared as a judge on the BBC’s Great British Menu.

Valentine Warner first traineed as a portrait painter but at the age of 23, could not resist the call of the kitchen and decided to focus his time on cooking instead of painting.

Festival organiser Tom Naylor-Leyland said: “It’s an enormous privilege to welcome Prue and Valentine to next year’s festival.

"Yorkshire’s magnificent landscape produces some of the finest food and drink in the country and we are very excited to share our love both landscape and produce of what we call ‘God’s Own County’.”

Now in its seventh year, the festival in May will boast a food market of over 160 of Yorkshire’s best producers, retailers and restaurateurs, and feature two days of demonstrations, tutored tastings, talks and entertainment.