From talks and debates to masterclasses and live demos to Fringe events and more craft food than you can shake a stick at, there’s so much going on this year. To guide you through, we’ve asked our CEO, Aine Morris, to tell us her highlights.
Community Feast
The first feast of the festival, held in the Market Hall, promises to be a great celebration and it’s our way of saying a big thank you to the whole community for putting up with us all weekend. It’s a chance to celebrate the installation of the Market Hall decorations (an iconic feature of the festival!), tuck into big sharing platters, delicious fresh produce and enjoy live Welsh music.
Exciting young chefs
Some of the most exciting young chefs in the UK right now are from Edinburgh Food Studio – a crowdfunded restaurant and food research hub. They’ll be coming to serve a pop-up supper this year, and I’m really looking forward to seeing what they’ve got in store.
Something for the kids
The Farmyard will be open for kids every morning to come along and get their hands dirty. There’ll be lots of workshops going on from milking goats to teaching the little ones about growing and what our soil is really made of. It’ll be great fun and a brilliant chance to learn something new.
Fringe fun
We’re really passionate about showcasing the wealth of important community food activities that take place long after the festival has closed its doors, which is why we’re so pleased that the community has got involved to organise their own events as part of our Fringe Programme. Expect field to fork workshops, local vineyard tours, a Syrian supper at Abergavenny community centre, as well as lots more activities to get the local food community involved long after the festival is over.
Revolting British Chefs
There’s a real food revolution going on in Britain at the moment, with many chefs focusing on where our food comes from and what impact it’s having on our environment and our health. Zoe Adjonyoh, Jan Ostle and Tom Hunt will be at the festival this year, giving an inspiring talk on their mission to challenge what, why and how we eat.
Fantastic food and drink
Of course, at Abergavenny we’re all about the food, and showcasing the very best developments in craft food in Britain. There’s so much going on with interesting talks, masterclasses and demos – be sure to look out for Italian wine and Welsh cheese pairing, chocolate masterclass, and how to make pasta from scratch.
For more ideas on what you could be getting up to, head over to the full programme here.