Feeling more like a gladiatorial arena, the Market Hall will see Steve Williams, resident chef at the exclusively vegetarian Buckland Hall throw down the gauntlet to Karl Cheetham head chef at Gliffaes Hotel – declaring that he can conjure up a vegetarian meal to rival any meat dish. The battle commences on Saturday at 1pm.
Good friends, both are members of the Chef Club, a Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority initiative. Friendships will be put on hold however when the serious business of cooking gets underway and temperatures start to rise in the kitchen.
Our chefs from the Black Mountains will, once and for all, try to answer the much debated question – which is best, meat or veg. Whether it’s meat balls or dough balls, our chefs will attempt to cook dishes almost identical in appearance and flavour but with very different ingredients.
The idea for the Meet and Veg Challenge came about as a result of the Chef Club initiative – a network in which chefs from the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park come together to share ideas and meet local food producers and suppliers for mutual benefit. The initiative was the brainchild of Carol Williams, Tourism Growth Officer at the National Park Authority.
Carol Williams said, “The Abergavenny Food Festival is always an enjoyable day out for the family. It’s also an occasion where people working in the food industry can meet up to share ideas or simply enjoy some good food. I’m particularly looking forward to culinary duel between our Black Mountain chefs in the Meat and Veg Challenge.”
Julie James, Chair of Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority said, “At the Brecon Beacon’s National Park Authority, we are always looking at ways to promote indigenous businesses for the benefit of the local economy. The network that’s been developed through the Chef’s Club is a good example of this. Some of the National Park’s finest chefs will be present at the Abergavenny Food Festival which promises to be a culinary delight and a great day out to boot.”
For further information on the Abergavenny Food Festival visit:
www.abergavennyfoodfestival.com