Blind baking, cooking over fire, live music, chef demonstrations, foraging sessions, tastings, cookery classes, and some surprisingly big questions about the future of food… There’s rather a lot going on at Abergavenny Food Festival this year (and that’s before you’ve even made it to the Market Hall).
Your weekend might begin with a box of gooey Gower Cottage Brownies, followed by a leisurely wander among more than 120 producers and a glass of fresh juice from Squeezing. You might find yourself in the Castle grounds watching The Beefy Boys create the perfect burger, or joining the family for a free Welsh cake cooking session. Perhaps you’ll settle down with a cup of Outlaw coffee, listen to some live music and have a proper catch-up with your in-laws while the kids run around. Or perhaps you make a big get-together out of it, meet up with your mates, grab some pints from Wye Valley Brewery, and split some Two Farmers crisps between you.
Alternatively, you could come away thinking rather differently about what’s on your plate. With dozens of panels, debates and discussions around Britain’s food industry, this year’s programme has plenty to tempt curious minds as well as hungry stomachs.
Ever wondered what ‘ultra-processed’ really means? Sunday’s Ultra-Processed Foods: What Counts as Food? brings together broadcaster Ritula Shah, flavour scientist Professor Barry Smith and nutritionist Sarah Bayliss to unpack one of today’s biggest food debates.
Curious about farming and the future of our countryside? Perennial vs Annual Crops: Why It Matters and How It Works explores whether crops that return year after year could change how we farm, while Rare and Forgotten: Slow Food Cymru and the Ark of Taste looks at the Welsh foods at risk of disappearing.
And if you care about the pubs, restaurants and cafés that help make our towns and villages feel like communities, Hospitality in Crisis looks at what comes next for an industry facing rising costs, staffing shortages, and changing customer habits.
Families are well catered for too. The Kids’ Cookery School runs throughout the weekend, where the kids can learn how to make welsh cakes without you having to clean up afterwards. Elsewhere, there’s clay sessions, face painting, storytelling and illustration classes to keep them entertained.
From 19-20 September, Abergavenny Food Festival hosts over 80 events across 18 venues. Good things come to those who taste, so make sure you come hungry and curious!
Party In The Castle
