The Grand in York welcomes representatives from Dijon as part of the Food Festival

To mark 70 years of relationship between York and its sister city Dijon, the food festival will host a series of events culminating in an exclusive evening at the city’s only five-star hotel, The Grand.

There will be a celebratory dinner at The Grand attended by Dijon officials and the York Civic Party.

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The evening on Friday 29 September begins at 7pm in the hotel’s characterful grand boardroom, which has original Edwardian features.

Led by Legacy Restaurant Executive Chef Ahmed Abdalla and Hotel Executive Chef Kevin Bonello, who previously led the culinary team and received a Michelin star at De Mondion in Mdina, Malta; The menu offers synergies between French and British cuisine.

The evening begins with a speech from an official representative of the York Food & Drink Festival, followed by an introduction to the menu and the products used by Kevin.

The evening costs £95 per person and includes a five-course meal with wine pairings, canapés, coffee and petit fours. For further information please contact events@thegrandyork.co.uk or call 01904 380038.

At the festival itself, from Thursday September 28th, there will be a stand with Burgundian products, where a team from Dijon will use the festival’s shared stand to carry out live demonstrations, offer samples and sell authentic Burgundy products.

On Saturday, September 30, the public is invited to a reception for the mayors of each city at the festival demonstration site.

This event is provided free of charge by the festival, but participants have the option to donate when registering at

The culinary team will take the stage during the reception and for those unable to attend, there will be several other opportunities where they will be featured in the demonstration area. Please see the festival schedule for details.

There are two wine events also celebrating the 70th anniversary.

Lucy Hjort from Melton’s Restaurant will be hosting a Burgundy wine tasting and three-course meal at Chopping Block in Walmgate on Sunday September 24th

And on Saturday September 23, Love Cheese in Gillygate teamed up with York Wine Club to select some of their favorite French wines to pair with British cheeses inspired by French classics.

Both events can be found at