Events & Festivals

This September will see the 22nd edition of the Abergavenny Food Festival.

Created in 1999 by a couple of local farmers the Festival has grown from just 3,000 visitors to become the biggest food festival in Wales, showcasing the very best food and drink in the Principality as well as the world. Some 37,000 people attended in 2018.

Its programme of activities includes masterclasses, product tastings, hands-on cookery lessons and kids’ activities. The Abergavenny Food Festival has drawn food heavyweights, including Jamie Oliver, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Monica Galetti, whilst giving insight on food issues and showcasing rising stars.

The organisers want to transform the way we think about food, encouraging us to question where our food comes from. For instance, at the Farmyard a series of talks and discussions will debate the future of UK farming.

But it’s not all just talk. Expect to meet some 220 food and drink producers across nine sites offering everything from cheese and wine to fish & fizz and streetfood as well as a night market.

Highlights of the Abergavenny Food Festival 2019

These are the details of the 2019 festival, the 2020 even was cancelled due to COVID-19 outbreak. Details will be updated when released.

Fergus Henderson and Trevor Gulliver, the men behind St. JOHN, will talk about The Book of St John, their new book. In 2019, St. JOHN is celebrating 25 years of its pioneering food.

Award-winning author and food writer Diana Henry will also appear at the Festival. While there will be a vinegar masterclass from fellow writer Angela Clutton, Olly Smith, the Saturday Kitchen wine expert, will discuss fizz cocktails, and Zoe Adjonyoh will cook over a hot fire.

José Pizarro will discuss his book Andalusia, Jaega Wise will join Pete Brown discovering Wales’ beers and ciders, while Joel Harrison and Neil Ridley’s Weekend Cocktails class will explore the world of gin.

Other confirmed speakers include: Copenhagen’s Trine Hahnemann, Asma Khan, Rosie Birkett, Xanthe Clay, Bee Wilson, Sandor Katz, Josh Eggleton, Tommy Heaney and Elly Curshen.

The full programme of events and speakers will be announced in June

Wild & Foraged

Check out the Wild & Foraged programme, which will take you out of town and into the Welsh countryside to discover what treats abound there – whether a mushroom walk in the Wye Valley or a seashore forage. Concoct Wild Cocktails with Mark Diacono and Liz Knight, or discover Wild Cooking with Genevieve Taylor and Henry Eldon of restaurant The Cauldron.

Saturday Night Feast

Saturday night’s annual food feast – One More, No More – will feature Guardian columnist Rachel Roddy, author/chefs Claire Thomson and Rosie Sykes, Matthew Williamson, Sam Sohn-Rethel, Ruth Spivey, Stacey Smith and Ben Llewelyn dishing out five courses with matching wine.

If meat is your thing, then you should head for Meatopia, held in London in August or Dublin in July.

Tickets for the Abergavenny Food Festival 2021

Weekend and day bands with access to all markets and chef demos are available here. www.abergavennyfoodfestival.com. Groups of 10+ will receive a 10 percent discount. Check the website for tickets to individual events.

Accommodation for the Abergavenny Food Festival

A list of local accommodation can be found here.

Getting to Abergavenny Food Festival

Parking is available in Bailey Park and Castle Meadows (£4), or you can take the train to Abergavenny station and walk 15 minutes to the site. Frequent buses also run Cardiff to the bus station, which is a five-minute walk from the Festival. Further details can be found here. There is disability parking in Abergavenny and all the market stalls are wheelchair accessible. Again, to discover more, click here or email [email protected].

Abergavenny Food Festival 2019 Dates

18 to 19 September, 2021.

Abergavenny Food Festival Photo Gallery

For more information on the Abergavenny Food Festival

Click here. 

Photos where not specified by Neil White.