The Abergavenny Food Festival
This month the Welsh town of Abergavenny , at the foot of the Brecon Beacons National Park , is set to become the culinary capital of Britain.
Over the weekend of September 20th - 21st the twee market town close to
the border with England , holds the Abergavenny Food Festival with a
host of tastings, cookery demonstrations, talks, exhibitions, musical
events and entertainment for the whole family.
Now in its 10th year the Festival promises to be the biggest yet with
events throughout the town centred on Abergavenny’s Victorian Market
Hall and its 11th century Castle. Farm foods are the main staple of the
local economy in this rural part of Wales and visitors come from far
and wide to sample and celebrate the Food Festival.
The Abergavenny Food Festival will officially commence on the 18th
September with a special 10th Anniversary Fanfare Supper held in the
Victorian Market Hall with a local hog roast and music provided by the
local choir; Abbercappella.
The Victorian Market Hall is the central venue for events and Festival
goers can pick up some tips from the professionals with Masterclasses
and Tutored Tastings from top chefs and food experts. There’s cookery
demonstrations at the Robert Price Kitchen Stage with a line-up of the
best local chefs including Michelin starred James Sommerin from The
Crown at Whitebrook, Iain Sampson of the Barn at Brynich and
Abergavenny’s own Shaun Hill, chef at the town’s top restaurant, The
Walnut Tree.
For wine and whisky connoisseurs the festival provides ample
opportunity for ‘further research’ with Tutored Tastings organised by
the Wine and Spirit Education Trust. There’s tastings of Tuscan wines
from the famous Zonin estates, hosted by Massimo Rotoloni and a session
with Philippe Salasc of Chateau Gres St Paul, one of the most
distinguished wineries of Languedoc. For those who like something
stronger, ‘whisky evangelist’ Eddie Ludlow takes visitors on a journey
through the 6 whisky regions of Scotland in search of the ultimate
Scotch and award-winning drinks writer Richard Ehrlich delves into the
secrets of the perfect Martini.
Families are well catered for at the Festival with a range of child
friendly events. Kids’ll love the Food Academy at Abergavenny Castle
with cooking demos and food tastings especially for kids and a range of
fun activities. Youngsters can test their cake making skills, learn how
to make yogurt and make a bid to be crowned the Best Sausage Maker in
Monmouthshire. In addition the Arts Alive crew are on hand to help
create food sculptures and the Parades des Chefs will see children take
to the streets with an array of musical cooking implements.
In special celebration of the tenth anniversary of the Abergavenny Food
Festival, the Party at the Castle on the Saturday night features a
diverse music programme with Swing and Gypsy Jazz from the Dan Cassidy
Swing Quartet and Rockin’ Roots and Rhythm with T & Latouche,
capped off by a special firework display to bring the party to a close.
The tenth anniversary also marks the launch of the Festival Fringe with
a programme of over 50 events and promotions put on by local businesses
in the run up to the Festival and over the Festival weekend. These
include a gourmet evening with a difference at the Crown at Whitebrook
where guests are invited to guess the ingredients. While at the Glen
-yr- Afon Hotel in Usk, it’s a battle of the sexes, as teams of male
and female chefs compete over a three course Sunday lunch.
The Fringe programme also includes a range of art exhibitions with a
celebration of Welsh and English landscapes at the Monnow Valley Arts
Centre, a showcase of professional Welsh artists at Martin’s Framing
Gallery, and exhibitions of photography celebrating local food with
Mouthwatering Monmouthshire at St Michaels Centre and an exhibition at
Abergavenny Castle Museum.
In addition, Abergavenny Bookshop is offering a generous 20% discount
on all cookery books throughout the Festival and Cooks Gallery in the
town are also running some very special promotions over the Festival
weekend.
If you want to experience the breathtaking Brecon Beacons countryside
during the Festival, The Abergavenny Food Festival Food Trail gives you
the perfect opportunity to escape the crowds and sample local farm
produce at its source. The trail involves a mini bus trip to various
local farms, each with a different focus, with rare breeds, farm walks
and a four course meal, with a final stop at the Beacons Farm Shop and
Welsh Venison Centre. Alternatively at the Mulberry House/Ty Morweth
visitors can get back to nature and forage for food with the Wild Food
Foray and Picnic.
Walking is one of the most popular pastimes in the Brecon Beacons and
what better way to work up an appetite for the Food Festival - or walk
off it’s excesses! Popular hikes in the National Park include Sugar
Loaf Mount, reaching 595m, Blorenge 559m and Skirrid Fawr rising up
486m above Abergavenny with fine views across the Brecon Beacons. Or
for something a little easier on the legs try a gentle stroll along the
towpath of the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal.
With stunning pastoral scenery and fabulous locally farmed food, the
Brecon Beacons during the Abergavenny Food Festival is the perfect time
and place to get back to nature and sample some of the good life. .
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