QUALITY food, expert knowledge, and plenty of entertainment – with these three ingredients, Abergavenny Food Festival never disappoints.
Wales' largest food festival returned this weekend for the 21st edition; a celebration of British food production, culinary magic, and mouth-watering meals to suit everyone's tastebuds.
Taking up a sizeable portion of the town centre, the food festival was based in the Market Street area and around Abergavenny Castle. With the majority of its stalls and attractions based outdoors, the event is always at the mercy of the weather.
A late burst of summer sunshine extended to Saturday, meaning the open-air stages such as Cooking over Fire, at the castle, drew huge crowds.
Sunday, however, was a wetter affair, prompting visitors to dart in and out of the Market Hall in between showers.
There, crowds moved enthusiastically between the stalls, taking in the countless varieties of foods on offer.
Preserves ranged from a homely harissa paste to a jam with a satisfying hit of habanero pepper. The deli counter sparkled with bowls of plump olives stuffed with garlic and almonds. There was smoked fish, crusty bread, and cider that packed a punch.
The cured meat stall was a firm favourite. Customers pored over styles of sausage from firm favourites to the more unusual, such as a chorizo with blood, wine, and chocolate.
At the Market Hall stage, Michelin-starred chef Josh Eggleton effused about the joys of using garden vegetables in the kitchen, and at the end of his demonstration, the audience was only to happy to take up his offer to sample his cooking. Other chefs to take to the stage over the weekend included Chris Harrod, of the Whitebrook, near Monmouth; and Gareth Ward of Ynyshir, in Mid Wales.
Abergavenny Food Festival is not just about Michelin stars and high-end cuisine. The festival's street food area was a big hit with visitors and provided a real assault on the senses.
Each stall offered a dazzling assortment of colourful, sizzling dishes from around the world. Among them were Malaysian rice and noodle bowls with all the colours of the rainbow; crunchy and sour salt beef rolls, and baguettes stuffed with bolognese sauce and melted cheese.
Over in Castle Street, the market and festival farmyard showed off the best of local and British agriculture. As visitors wandered among the stalls of herbs, meats, and produce, the comforting smell of Welsh cakes filled the air.
Abergavenny Castle hosted cookery schools for children and adults alike; while over at the St Mary's Priory Centre, a series of masterclasses focused on how to get the best out of specific ingredients and foods, from lamb and chocolate to sauerkraut and balsamic vinegar.
The castle also hosted the Cooking over Fire stage. There, the ever-popular Sam Evans and Shauna Guinn, from Barry barbecue restaurant Hang Fire, were among those to entertain visitors at the stage on Saturday.
Also joining them over the course of the festival was grill fanatic DJ BBQ, who cooked the 'ultimate burger'; and Poco's Tom Hunt and Ben Pryor, whose vegan shakshuka proved that it wasn't just meat that could be cooked to perfection over an open fire.
Abergavenny Food Festival is a celebration of chefs and food producers who are at the top of their game, but there is also the chance for budding cooks to shine. On Saturday, the town's Rotary Club branch sponsored a young chef competition on the Market Hall stage, with 12-year-old King Henry VIII School pupil Bethan Price winning the crown, and her schoolmate Ella Gribbin finishing runner-up.
Click the gallery at the top of the page to see all of our photographs from this year's Abergavenny Food Festival.
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