More of a foodie than a festival goer? Explore some of the best celebrations Wales has to offer with Lorria Sahmet’s round up of the foodie festival season.
CAERPHILLY FOOD FESTIVAL
Caerphilly Town Centre, Caerphilly
Sat 6 May
What better way to enjoy the spring than with the freshly-picked produce and refreshing flavours on offer at the Caerphilly Food Festival. Returning once more with delicious tastes and fragrant smells, Caerphilly offers a range of professional cooking demonstrations, homemade sweet-treats and range of delicious made-to-order dishes. Not only focusing on delicious foods, this year the festival is joining forces with the Farmers Market and Caerphilly Craft Fair, perfect for those keen-eyed thrifters.
Admission: Free
Info: www.caerphilly.gov.uk/caerphillyfoodfestival
ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS VEGAN FESTIVAL
Depot, 22 Dumbbells Road, Cardiff
Sun 7 May
Join Absolutely Fabulous Vegan Fayres for another one of their popular Vegan Festivals, which they hold around Wales. Serving all-natural vegan delights, the festival recognises the growing vegan community in Cardiff and is delighted to showcase a wondrous range of delicious and healthy alternatives from local vegan restaurants and bakeries. Delicious samples of all-time favourites include vegan pizza, fish and chips, cheese, chocolate, various baked goods – the impressive list continues. All dishes are locally made and filled with irresistible flavours. A good spot for clean eating.
Admission: £1
Info: https://www.facebook.com/AbFabVegan
WELSH HIGHLAND RAILWAY SOCIETY RAIL ALE FESTIVAL
Welsh Highland Railway Station – Caernarfon
Fri 19 – Sun 21 May
Get a ticket to ride for this unique food and drink festival experience. Back for its 13th year, the Welsh Highland Railway Society presents their successful Rail Ale Festival. Promising an impressive selection of over 100 real ales, ciders and specially crafted beers, the three-day festival lives up to its reputation as one of the most popular and biggest beer festivals in North Wales, inviting beer lovers from across the country. Also not to be missed are a variety of live music entertainment, fine foods and of course, an impressive display of stream trains for train fanatics.
Admission: Free
Info: www.rail-ale.com/
GOWER GOOD FOOD FESTIVAL
Gower Heritage Centre
Sun 28 + Mon 29 May
Set in the heart of Gower, some of the best local food producers will convene to celebrate some of the best food Wales has to offer, with the likes of Dusty Knuckle Pizza making appearances. Back by popular demand, the festival continues to gain popularity year on year. The Gower Heritage Centre, which was set up in 1990, makes for a perfect setting to grab a bite to eat in the sun.
Admission: Free
Info: www.gowerheritagecentre.co.uk
COWBRIDGE FOOD AND DRINK FESTIVAL
Arthur John & Vale Forge Car Parks / Old Hall Gardens, Cowbridge
Sun 28 + Mon 29 May
For another year of exciting flavours, the Cowbridge Food and Drink Festival celebrates foodie favourites and irresistible bargains. An exciting combination then in the cosy town of Cowbridge- surrounded by a beautiful countryside and coastline – showcasing over 80 stalls of locally grown produce and homemade delicacies along with their excellent hospitality. For those who decide to taste what more Cowbridge has to offer, nearby accommodation is also available. Enjoy your bank holiday weekend with a festival filled with culinary delights and family fun.
Admission: £5/day or £8/weekend
Info: ww.cowbridgefoodanddrink.org
PEMBROKESHIRE FISH WEEK
Milford Fish Docks, Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire
Sat 24 June – Sun 2 July
Celebrate the beautiful Pembrokeshire seaside, and its seafood culinary heritage, with a weeklong festival of fish, fish, and more fish. A delight for all seafood fans, Fish Week offers a variety of activities such as fishing trips, lessons and angling competitions. But of course, the biggest catch is the freshly caught fish for sale and prepared in different ways for delicious samples: grilled, tapas, traditional fish and chips and more. Learn the proper way to filet a fish or join cooking classes led by celebrity chefs. Either way, it more than lives up to its reputation as one of the best seafood festivals around.
Admission: Free
Info: new.pembrokeshirefishweek.co.uk
CARDIFF INTERNATIONAL FOOD & DRINK FESTIVAL
Roald Dahl Plass, Cardiff
Fri 14 – Sun 16 July
Soak in the summer sun with a visit to Cardiff’s International Food and Drink Festival – the largest free food festival in Wales. As the name says, it features over 100 national and international stalls offering a range of unique flavours. Bring out your inner foodie with the festival’s Producers’ Fayre – delicious light samples galore – and the Farmer’s Market where visitors can buy fresh produce, including homemade artisan breads and organic cheeses. Also, a crowd pleaser are the festivals’ finest street snacks, some of the best in Wales. Getting stuck in with a fresh glass of bubbly, it’s no wonder why this remains a popular summer event.
Admission: Free
Info: www.visitcardiff.com
GOWER CHILLI COOL HEAT FESTIVAL
South Gower Sports Club, Port Eyon, Swansea
Sat 22 + Sun 23 July
To spice things up, head over to Gower Chilli Festival for some extra heat this summer. Fittingly named, the festival celebrates spice with a variety of chilli-inspired food and drinks. Begin with an array of unique and tasty snacks, from chocolates to cheeses, and continue with delicious tongue-tingling street food. To top it off, head to the infamous Chilli Cocktail bar and unwind with chilli-infused spirits and mixers. If this isn’t hot enough for you, take part in the newly introduced Chilli Eating Competition or the Great Gower Cookoff. You’ll need a quick way to cool off after this.
Admission: £6/ Adults, £1/ Children
Info: www.gowerchillis.com
THE BIG CHEESE
Caerphilly Castle
Sat 29 + Sun 30 July
An eclectic mix of different activities including street entertainers, living history, music, dance, a funfair, folk dancing, and fire eating to name but a few. One of the big cheeses of Welsh festivals celebrates the town’s cheesy heritage and will take place on the last weekend of July. Set in the shadows of one of Europe’s largest castles, over 80,000 people are expected to flock to enjoy the different activities on offer this summer.
Admission: Free
Info: www.visitcaerphilly.com
CARDIGAN RIVER AND FOOD FESTIVAL
Cardigan
Sat 12 Aug
The Cardigan River and Food festival celebrates its 19th anniversary this year, but after all that time the festival organisers’ objectives haven’t changed in the slightest, with the celebration of the quality and diversity of the local independent food producers here in Wales remaining central to its driving ethos.
Admission: Free
Info: www.cardigan-food-festival.co.uk
ABERGAVENNY FOOD FESTIVAL
Various venues around Abergavenny
Sat 16 + Sun 17 Sept
Established in 1999 by two local farmers after the devastating BSE crisis in order to restore faith in British farmed foods, the festival has more than proven its point and continues to grow, now attracting some 30,000 visitors each year to one of the biggest events in the Welsh foodie calendar. With everything from organic cheeses to international drinks, there’s bound to be something to satisfy your taste buds in the beautiful town. The rich history and reputation of the festival has attracted previous visits from top chefs like Raymond Blanc and Rick Stein.
Admission: Free
Info: www.abergavennyfoodfestival.com
NARBERTH FOOD FESTIVAL
Narberth
Sat 23 + Sun 24 Sept
With food stalls, live music, street theatre, chef demonstrations and a licensed bar all in one of Britain’s ‘Top 20 Friendliest Places to Live’ (The Daily Telegraph), this festival is perfect for a family day out. The festival will see foodies celebrating all that is good about Welsh, British and international food and drink in a charming family friendly environment.
Admission: Free
Info: www.narberthfoodfestival.com
NEATH FOOD AND DRINK FESTIVAL
Neath
Sat 30 Sept – Mon 2 Oct
Started in 2009 as a small celebration of local food and drink, the Neath Food and Drink Festival is now one of the main fixtures in the town’s calendar. With a street food zone and real ale hall, the festival has a wide range of food and drink choices to choose from.
Admission: Free
Info: www.npt.gov.uk