Mouth-watering local produce, cooking demonstrations, recipe ideas plus FREE admission – all make the perfect ingredients for the 18th annual Brecon Beacons Food Festival this Saturday 3rd October in the Brecon Market Hall from 10am – 5pm.
With Welsh producers, growers, award winning chefs and local food suppliers firmly at its heart, festival goers will be presented with the very best Welsh produce to be found in the Brecon Beacons National Park.
Taking place in the Brecon Market Hall and surrounding streets, Saturday 3rd October is expected to draw in the crowds eager to sample the delicacies produced and farmed in the landscape of Brecon Beacons National Park. In fact the produce has usually travelled less distance than the visitors who come to enjoy the event.
A feast of delights will be on offer from 70 exhibitors including 12 newcomers eager to market their game, venison, Salt Marsh Lamb, bread, pancakes, pasta, curries, chocolate, jams, honey, fish, home grown vegetables, cider, beer, spirits and much more.
Pick up some top tips from the professionals at a host of live cooking demonstrations. Award-winning local chefs include: Gary Wheeler (Foyles of Glasbury), Anthony Christopher (Pen y Cae Inn) Tony Price (The Coach House Hotel), Colin Grey (Barons Patisserie Cardiff), Karl Cheetham (Gliffaes Hotel), Shaun Bailey (Head of Hospitality at Newton College) and Nerys Howells not to mention the battle of the Weatherpeople: BBC’s Derek Brockway and Sue Charles. Back again this year, is the local school competition for Young Chef of the Year (open for under 10s) – sponsored by The Felinfach Griffin. There will also be singing and entertainment throughout the day with performances from Welsh Opera Eisteddfod Star and winner Jennifer Parry and the Aberhonddu Male Choir.
With loads of places to sit and enjoy the demonstrations and listen to the various choirs surrounded by lots of delicious food and drink, Brecon Beacons Food Festival is the perfect day out for everyone – from those who are passionate about their food to the happy taste tester, families and day trippers.
“This year we match previous years with 70 Welsh food and drink producers booked to attend. The growth over the last 18 years provides a strong indication of the success the Brecon Beacons Food Festival brings to the exhibitors who take part. To organise and be a part of the Brecon Beacons Food Festival is a wonderful experience and I’d like to thank all the stall holders, farmers and local suppliers who have loyally supported this food festival and put such an incredible amount of effort into how they produce their food. The atmosphere, the smell of home cooking and inevitably seeing so many happy families stocking up their shopping bags with local food is nothing short of amazing.” says Food Festival organiser and Catering Manager for Brecon Beacons National Park Authority, Andrew Powell.
Mrs Melanie Doel, Chairman of Brecon Beacons National Park Authority and chairman of Abergavenny Food Festival said: “Coming just after the highly successful Abergavenny Food Festival this is another great opportunity for people to taste some of the very best in local and Welsh produce. We are really proud of the Brecon Beacons Food Festival. In all the time that I have been involved with the food festival it just gets better every year. It’s a calendar highlight for locals and people who travel from afar to experience it and always perfectly timed to coincide with the harvest season. I am delighted to be part of two of the best food festivals in Wales.”
As well as funding support from the Welsh Government and Brecon Beacons National Park Authority, the Food Festival has also been kindly supported by The Felinfach Griffin which is part of the Eat Drink Sleep Group, who is sponsoring the Young Chef of the Year competition, The Brecon & Radnor Express, Castell Howell Foods, Celtic Pride, Brecon Carreg and The Castle of Brecon Hotel.
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