A firm favourite on the national foodie calendar and flagged up by The Sunday Times earlier this year as one of the reasons why the buzzing Victorian seaside town of Saltburn is one of the best places to live in the UK, Saltburn Food Festival is celebrating its fifth birthday at the end of the month.

The hugely popular annual festival has attracted almost 100,000 visitors over the last four years, and looks set to be bigger and better than ever this year - featuring more than 100 stalls for the first time and spreading out into the rest of the town centre for the first time.

One special guest will be Debbie Raw, who cooked up a series of foodie classics in the TV programme Further Back in Time For Dinner earlier this year. "My college tutor saw the application form for the role of the maid, and said he thought I'd be perfect for it," she laughs. "I said I'll fill it in, just to humour him really. Then I got a positive reply and it went from there.”

The BBC2 programme saw her recreating menus from the 1900s to the 1950s. "It was a real adventure," she says. "My role as the maid meant I had to cook, clean and just look after the family in general. I had to cook some pretty weird things from the different eras. On the first day, I was presented with a calf’s head, and few days later, I was asked to cook an extravagant eight-course meal, all without any modern-day equipment.”

The 20-year-old from Fryup on the North Yorkshire Moors initially followed in the footsteps of top TV chef James Martin and studied catering at the Yorkshire Coast College in Scarborough. She now works alongside Gilly Robinson at Malton Cookery School, teaching a wide range of courses using the best available local produce. Now she's looking forward to cooking up some surprises at Saltburn Food Festival.

What are your earliest food memories?

When I was younger, I enjoyed eating whatever mixture was left in the bowl after my mum had made a cake or something. I have always loved cake and always will. If I'm honest, I still have a cheeky little lick off the spoon.

When did you realise you had a passion for food?

I have always had a passion for eating, and cooking just kind of followed that. I feel like I've been baking at home forever. In fact, when I was at school, I probably did more cooking and baking than I ever did homework.

How would you describe your style of cooking?

Honestly, I don't think I really have one yet. I've still got so much to learn and skills to build on. I'm just having fun learning something new every day.

What’s your favourite summer dish?

Probably Eton Mess with loads of strawberries - or fresh fish or lobster with a really fresh tomato or potato salad.

What would be your desert island dish?

Roast pork with crackling, mash potato, loads of veg and gravy and, of course, a Yorkshire Pudding.

What ingredient couldn’t you live without, and why?

I'm pretty sure I couldn't live without chocolate. I'm convinced it runs through my veins actually.

What will you be cooking at the Saltburn Food Festival?

I work in Malton with Gilly Robinson, who cooked at the festival a couple of years ago. She told me it was an amazing day, so I can’t wait to get stuck in. I think I'm going to be doing my slightly famous brownies that contain something rather exciting (it's a surprise, you’ll have to come and see for yourself). And maybe some summery bits and bobs to go with them. Or a quick fish dish.”

* Other special guests at the festival include Stephanie Moon, a Yorkshire farmer's daughter and award winning chef who has appeared on BBC2's Great British Menu, and Richard Johns, who runs the much-lauded Rascills Restaurant in Raskelf, North Yorkshire.

Saltburn Food Festival: Sunday, July 30, 10am-6pm. Free admission. For further information and updates, visit saltburnfoodfestival.co.uk