It’s been dubbed ‘a feast for all senses’ and it’s easy to see why – a vast crowd continued to gather throughout the day in the Brecon Market Hall, eager to purchase the local produce before it sold out and to watch the ever popular cookery demonstrations from local celebrity chefs.
Celebrating its 12th year, the Food Festival incorporated traditional features such as local celebrity chef cooking demonstrations, coupled with an expansion of stalls throughout the picturesque market town of Brecon – including a Green Fair that showcased a range of innovative, energy efficient products and services to promote the use of renewable energy at a local level. The one day only event also featured an elevated stage kitted out with a state of the art kitchen in the Market Hall, a recording camera and two large plasma screens ensuring that all budding gastronomes in the audience could learn a thing or two from the professionals.
Catering Manager for Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority and organiser of the event, Andrew Powell, said: “Saturday was a huge success for everyone involved. As a National Park we are incredibly lucky to be in a position to have an abundance of fantastic local producers on our doorstep. Welsh food and flavour is as distinctive as its reputation – there are just so many reasons to celebrate being Welsh and buying local is just one of them.”
Officially welcoming people to the event on Saturday, Mrs Mary Taylor, Chairman of Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority said: “This festival is just one of the ways we try to support and take care of all those we are dependent on – our farmers and our communities. The ongoing success of this festival is an enormous asset to the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park and it is testimony to the huge impact that Welsh food has on our local economy. It plays a vital role in supporting our local suppliers and producers and to so many rural people in Wales.
“Our Food Festivals provide residents and visitors with an opportunity to purchase top quality, locally produced food and drink. Not only can they sample some of the best food and drink that Wales has to offer but they can also meet the producers who supply them. What we hope is that visitors and residents will continue to buy local produce even after the event.”
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Pictures: Copyright of Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority
Official launch pictured from left to right – Mrs Mary Taylor, Chairman of Bannau Brycheiniog NPA; Andrew Powell, event organiser and Catering Manager for Bannau Brycheiniog NPA; Mr Ieuan Williams, Mayor of Brecon; Mr Nick Bourne AM and Mr John Cook, Chief Executive of Bannau Brycheiniog NPA.