Editing York (section)

===Food and drink===
Each September since 1997, York has held an annual Festival of Food and Drink. The aim of the festival is to spotlight food culture in York and North Yorkshire by promoting local food production. The Festival attracts up to 150,000 visitors over 10 days from all over the country.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.yorkfoodfestival.com/AboutUs.htm |title=York Festival of Food and Drink – Who we are and what we do |publisher=York Food Festival Ltd |access-date=15 June 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091024053931/http://www.yorkfoodfestival.com/AboutUs.htm |archive-date=24 October 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

The Assize of Ale is an annual event in the city where people in medieval costume take part in a [[pub crawl]] to raise money for local charities. It has its origins in the 13th century, when an [[Assize of Bread and Ale]] was used to regulate the quality of goods. The current version was resurrected in 1990/91 by the then Sheriff of York, Peter Brown, and is led by the Guild of Scriveners.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/8329854.Sheriff_of_York_to_test_York_s_beers_in_traditional_Assize_of_Ale/|title=Sheriff of York to test York's beers in traditional Assize of Ale|work=York Press|date=13 August 2010|access-date=30 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160915050011/http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/8329854.Sheriff_of_York_to_test_York_s_beers_in_traditional_Assize_of_Ale/|archive-date=15 September 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[File:York ham.jpg|thumb|York ham|200x200px]]

The Knavesmire, home of York Racecourse, plays host to Yorkshire's largest beer festival every September run by York CAMRA – York Beer & Cider Festival.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.yorkbeerfestival.org.uk|title=York Beer & Cider Festival is back and in a new exciting location|publisher=York Beer & Cider Festival|access-date=19 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160815180107/http://www.yorkbeerfestival.org.uk/|archive-date=15 August 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> It is housed in a marquee opposite the grandstand of the racecourse in the enclosure and in 2016 offered over 450 real ales and over 100 ciders.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/14637425.Tickets_go_on_sale_for_York_Beer_and_Cider_Festival/?ref=mrb&lp=10|title=Tickets go on sale for York Beer and Cider Festival|work=The Press|date=23 July 2016|access-date=19 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160923083635/http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/14637425.Tickets_go_on_sale_for_York_Beer_and_Cider_Festival/?ref=mrb&lp=10|archive-date=23 September 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>
A product claimed to be local is York ham,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.information-britain.co.uk/food/foodlegends/York%20Ham/|title=Food Legends of the United Kingdom: York Ham|publisher=Information Britain|access-date=11 November 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110613143953/http://www.information-britain.co.uk/food/foodlegends/York%20Ham/|archive-date=13 June 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> a mild-flavoured [[ham]] with delicate pink colouring. It is traditionally served with [[Madeira wine#Uses|Madeira Sauce]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://homecooking.about.com/library/weekly/blham.htm|title=Home Cooking – Ham Varieties and Terminology|publisher=The New York Times Company|work=About.com|date=16 September 2008|access-date=5 October 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081006223953/http://homecooking.about.com/library/weekly/blham.htm|archive-date=6 October 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.recipetips.com/search.asp?index=recipes&querytext=york+ham
|title=Recipe Favourites York ham and other recipes related to York ham|publisher=Recipe Tips|access-date=5 October 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090113102746/http://www.recipetips.com/search.asp?index=recipes&querytext=york+ham|archive-date=13 January 2009|url-status=live}}</ref> The ham has been described as a lightly smoked, dry-cured ham that is saltier but milder in flavour than other European dry-cured hams.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.foodsubs.com/MeatcureHams.html|title=Cook's Thesaurus: Ham|publisher=Food Subs|first=Lori|last=Alden|access-date=5 October 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081016063903/http://www.foodsubs.com/MeatcureHams.html|archive-date=16 October 2008|url-status=live}}</ref> Folklore has it that the oak construction for York Minster provided the sawdust for smoking the ham.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.countrylife.co.uk/food-drink/hooray-for-festive-ham-31597|title=Hooray for Festive Ham|website=[[Country Life (magazine)|Country Life]]|date=25 November 2008|access-date=23 June 2021|archive-date=22 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211022041012/https://www.countrylife.co.uk/food-drink/hooray-for-festive-ham-31597|url-status=live}}</ref> A likely apocryphal story attributes Robert Burrow Atkinson's butchery shop, in [[Blossom Street]], to be the birthplace of the original York ham, or at least to have made it famous.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.oliversofthemount.com/history.html |title=History of 57 & 59 Blossom Street |publisher=Oliver's of the Mount |access-date=5 October 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081108070325/http://www.oliversofthemount.com/history.html |archive-date=8 November 2008}}</ref>