VIRTUAL ABERGAVENNY FOOD FESTIVAL | PREVIEW
Turned from its regular long weekend into a luxurious – if web-based – week-long affair, running from Mon 14 to Sun 20 Sept, please welcome the Virtual Abergavenny Food Festival 2020. Hosted by food experts and writers, you’ll discover all you need to know about recipes, vegetables, sustainability and living simply – and in the spirit of generosity, all this is for free.
The festival starts by stripping you back to basics with an introduction by Kate Humble – based on her new book Living Simply, which does what it says on the tin subject-wise. This will set the tone for the festival: anyone interested in living more sustainably can learn from Anna Jones, who will be introducing recipes with vegetable ingredients you might not have known what to do with. Sabrina Ghayour [top] will be keeping our kitchens tasty with a Persian cooking show, and Cyrus Todiwala [below] and Mike Warner beckon you into their Café Namasté Kitchen.
The festival makes a point of highlighting local food businesses who offer delicious, standout produce, while also offering inside tips on how to start up your own food business. To add to the generosity, Gower Cottage Brownies will send out 100 brownie-filled gift boxes to random people who attend.
For thirstier viewers, Herefordshire’s Chase Distillery host a tour and tasting of their gins and tonics, along with mixer tips for those at home. Or join beer and cider experts Pete Brown and Susanna Forbes for craft beer, cider and perry from Wales. You can find links to order drinks on the schedule programme page of the AFF website.
Get your thinking caps on for the food and agricultural debate with Andy Middleton as he tasks his panel to come up with key recommendations for change. There will also be a Food Revolution debate where viewers can explore ways to cook sustainably; likewise, tune in for the Hospitality debate to discuss the future of eating out. There is so much to get your teeth stuck into, even if only metaphorically so.
While the festival is entirely free, spaces are limited – you can keep up to date with the full festival programme by visiting the website where you can view timings and reserve your space. And anyone feeling generous has the option to make a donation towards the running of the festival, and ensure what will hopefully be a fully real-world return in 2021 and beyond.
words YASMIN GRANT photo (Cyrus Todiwala) KIRSTIE YOUNG
Virtual Abergavenny Food Festival, Mon 14-Sun 20 Sept. Info: www.abergavennyfoodfestival.com/virtual-abergavenny-food-festival-vaff2020