Why We love Yorkshire - Part 2

Farm Shops
Farm shops are where you can get a true taste of Yorkshire. Meat reared in the same postcode, fresh eggs, locally made jam, chutney, pickles, cooking sauces, artisan chocolate, beers, cheese, tea and coffee. Some our farm shop favourites include Fodder in Harrogate, Drewton’s near Brough, Cedarbarn in Pickering, Farmer Copleys in Pontefract and Hinchliffe’s in Huddersfield – all refreshing alternatives to the supermarket.

Musicians
A seriously impressive amount of musical talent has emanated from Yorkshire. Sheffield in particular rocks. Pulp, Arctic Monkeys, Richard Hawley and Def Leppard all grew up here. Leeds has the Kaiser Chiefs, Mel B and Corinne Bailey Rae. Girls Aloud singer Kimberley Walsh grew up in Bradford and Lesley Garrett was born in Doncaster. Alternative rock band The Housemartins often referred to themselves as the fourth best band in Hull, where they were formed.

Grassington
Grassington is the kind of village you can imagine Postman Pat delivering to. Located in the Dales, just nine miles north of Skipton, its postcard-perfect market square is enclosed by fabulous little independent shops with intriguing names. Burnt Rock stock unusual garden and home accessories, you can pick up handmade and one-off gifts from Rustic Rabbit and bespoke ceramics from Courtyard Pottery. The village is also not short on places to eat. Enjoy freshly baked scones from Whimsical Cottage Tearooms and healthy salads and sandwiches from Coffeeco. On the map Grassington may just be another village in the Dales, but it’s villages like this that make Yorkshire so special.

Playwrights
Yorkshire playwrights have brought some serious Northern grit to the big stage. Leeds’ Alan Bennett is one of the UK’s best-loved dramatists, famous for plays such as The Madness of George III and The History Boys both of which successfully transitioned to the big screen. Upton-born John Godber won two BAFTAs for Odd Squad which was written and directed on location in Hull, while prolific playwright Alan Ayckbourn was Artistic Director of the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough.

Fish and Chips
A British institution, Yorkshire doesn’t disappoint when it comes to fish and chips. Whether eaten straight from the paper or from a plate with mushy peas and a glass of cold white wine, Yorkshire has some of the finest fish and chip restaurants and take aways in the country. Turn to our food section to read our feature on some of our local favourites.

Wensleydale Cheese
Made in Wensleydale since 1150, this famous creamy, crumbly cheese is synonymous with great flavour and tradition. The Wensleydale creamery in the Yorkshire Dales is the only maker of genuine Yorkshire Wensleydale. It’s a must-visit for cheese fans. Offering an inimitable taste of Yorkshire, the cheese was originally made from sheep’s milk but today is created using milk from cows that graze happily on a healthy, natural diet of grasses, herbs and wild flowers that only the Yorkshire Dales can offer. It’s also a favourite of celebrity cheese connoisseurs Wallace and Gromit.

Theatres
Yorkshire is the North’s capital when it comes to world-class performing arts, from the 1,550 capacity Leeds Grand (home to Opera North and Northern Ballet) to the intimate surrounds of The Carriageworks, also in Leeds. On the coast, Scarborough has Europe’s largest open air theatre while The Stephen Joseph Theatre here is known for its world premières of almost all of Alan Ayckbourne’s 75+ plays. York’s Theatre Royal is set in a 260-year-old building in the heart of the city, Sheffield’s Crucible, Lyceum and Studio Theatres form the largest regional theatre complex outside London, and Richmond’s Georgian Theatre is the oldest in the UK, surviving in its original form from 1788.

Cricket
Yorkshire County Cricket Club are the most successful side in English cricketing history. Last year they celebrated their 150th anniversary, having produced legendary local players such as Herbert Sutcliffe, Len Hutton, Fred Trueman, Hedley Verity, Geoffrey Boycott, Darren Gough and Michael Vaughan during that time. After a period of mediocrity the side seem to be enjoying a purple patch again. A fresh generation of talent, including Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow, have become regulars with Yorkshire and England and an ambitious 20-year transformation of Headingley is planned. Costing £50 million, the revamp will increase capacity to 20,000 and see the installation of a new five-storey pavilion and floodlights that will secure the stadium as a Test match venue.