Foxhunter foraging
This year’s Fringe is taking place thanks to financial support from Abergavenny Town Council who are keen to promote the wealth of experiences on offer including exhibitions, festive menus, workshops, music, walks and other special events with a food connection.
Classy teas at the Angel Hotel
Try out some fabulous festive menus. The Angel Hotel invites you to sample classy teas – from scented Jasmine Pearls to malty Russian Caravan as part of a high tea feast. The Crown at Pantygelli has a seafood evening with tutored wine tasting. Enjoy wild and foraged food at The Foxhunter and a special tasting menu at the Llansantffraed Court Hotel. Pav and Franco Taruschio are running a pop-up kitchen at the Cricket Club and edible flowers can be sampled at the Raglan Garden Centre’s Sugarloaf Café. There’s a butchers bistro above H J Edwards Butchers courtesty of the Food Workshop Supper Club; and The Inn at Penallt has an eight course tasting menu featuring locally reared produce from Kate Humble`s ‘Humble by Nature’ and their artisan suppliers.
PennyLewis of Culinary Cottage demonstrating at the Festival
Get top tips from Penny Lewis of The Culinary Cottage through her food dems at Cooks Galley. Enjoy local real ale cider and perry at The Swan Hotel as part of the Camra Beer and Cider Festival. There are two vineyard tours: Ancre Hill Vineyard have a wine-tasting with a Welsh cheese platter and you can take a walk to Sugarloaf Vineyard accompanied by Brecon Beacons National Park Wardens – lunch and wine tasting available too.
There are two annual events in the locality: The Tretower Court Apple Festival which will have over one hundred varieties on display; and the Llanover House Rare Plant Fair. Plus there’s a food and craft market in Cwmbran at Llanyrafon Manor Rural Heritage Centre.
Abergavenny Community Canteen and Abergavenny Transition Town groups are running an event called ‘Just Food’ in Trinity Church Hall which highlights and includes films and speakers. Drop into Abergavenny Methodist Church to see a harvest of flowers and food and pick up a bargain second hand cookery book Abergavenny Bookshop and Broadleaf Books (Abergavenny) and Rossiter Books in Monmouth are all offering discounts on cookery books – lots to choose from.
Chapel Cottage Studio – Farmers Market
Artists and crafts people have been busy . The Art Shop will have a display of functional and decorative ceramics from various makers including Dylan Bowen and James Burnett. Outside on the street there will be a pop-up culinary show and demonstration of puppet-making skills. Rob Ritchie of Trappe Studio and Gallery has an exhibition of still life paintings, and artist Louise Collis has captured the landscape of local producers – all on display at her open studio. Jantien Powell has an exhibition and free demonstration at Chapel Cottage Studio and the Crafts Renaissance Gallery is showcasing Anna Lawdays ceramic crocogators, dragons and dinosaurs.
And when you’ve experienced at least some of the above, you can take time out and relax to an evening of beautiful music with Synergy A-Capella Close Harmony Chorus and the Beaufort Male Voice Choir in St Mary’s Church.
For full details of all these events, including booking information, please visit the Fringe pages of the Festival website at; www.abergavennyfoodfestival.com
