Upon entering Malton, the welcome sign proudly informs that this is ‘Yorkshire’s Food Capital’. For a small market town on the edge of the North York Moors it is some claim, and a wander round the picturesque streets confirm it to be true. Filled with artisan shops, quirky cafes, craft bars and an array of restaurants, plus a monthly market and an annual festival, Malton is a foodie mecca and an independent hub.

For the full experience, visit on the weekend of the biannual Malton Food Lovers Festival, when over 100 stalls and thousands of people celebrate Yorkshire’s culinary excellence. Every month too there is Malton Monthly Food Market, where specialist producers and makers line the street with tasty goodies.

But every day there are an abundance of edible options here. From coffee at Roost, breakfast at Lutt and Turner, lunch at Leoni’s, tea at The Talbot, and sweets at The Patisserie, plus plenty more, you can stop and eat you way endlessly around town.

Drinks too, as Malton is home to many great drink makers and sellers. For beer lovers, Brass Castle is a delicious vegan brewery, whose ales you can sample fresh at their welcoming taproom. For wine and spirits, McMillans of Malton are the masters, a family business whose shop is impossible to leave without bags of beautiful bottles. Hunker down in The Library, a cosy speakeasy, and settle in at The Cross Keys, a classic traditional pub.

One particular hotspot for great independent shops is the characterful Talbot Yard. Here you can find the likes of Bluebird Bakery, Groovy Moo Gelato, Rare Bird Distillery and the master of macaroons Florian Poirot.

But it’s not only food in Malton. Music comes to town at the annual Meadowfest; and an enjoyable shopping trip can be had here too. There’s stylish homeware at Ashley Cooke, Hare and Wilde, and Tallboy Interiors, art at Environmental, and fashion from the retro to the modern. Which is much like Malton – a lovely vintage town with a magnificent contemporary character.