Join us on the Welsh Borders …
New Faces. Old Friends. A celebration of all things food. The 2025 Abergavenny Food Festival (20 and 21 September) brings food world aficionados flocking to the Welsh Borders. Fun, informative, and immersive, the weekend is packed with activities and showcases over 200 exhibitors selected for quality, provenance, and sustainability.
The guest events programme is now launched. Top talent, bags of creativity, and a passion for sharing knowledge make for pure culinary theatre. Over sixty special events to pick and mix. Grab a seat in the market hall for chef demonstrations; head to the castle for fire stage alchemy hosted by Hangfire Girls Sam and Shauna; drop into the Octopus Books Dome or Local & Vocal Stage (sponsored by Taylor & Co Estate Agents) for lively talks, debates, and – of course – the Festival’s famous food quiz where those in the know would never dream of confusing their charcuterie with their ‘tutti frutteri’!
Here are some highlights. View the full offering/ buy tickets on our What’s On page
(Image: Andi Oliver and Melissa Thompson AFF ’23)
Talks and Demonstrations
Andi Oliver (presenter BBC’s Great British Menu) went down a storm in ‘23, and she’s back to share her latest food adventures with writer Gurdeep Loyal. Abergavenny’s own Matt Tebbutt and his Saturday Kitchen pal, wine expert Olly Smith, promise to tell you everything you need to know about wine. Catch them again in action for the final show-stopper on the chef dem stage. There you can also get to see Ixta Belfrage – one of the most exciting young talents in the food industry – who brings bold flavours and a proudly untraditional take to the recipes of Brazil.
Fast food doesn’t have to mean a drop in quality (a viewpoint shared by the Festival’s varied street food vendors). Meet fast food revolutionaries The Pizza Pilgrims brothers Thom and James Eliot, and Beefy Boys founders Anthony ‘Murph’ Murphy and Christian Williams. Both businesses are great success stories, having bucked all the trends post-covid. Find out why when they talk to Financial Times columnist and author, Tim Hayward.
Thomasina Miers, having returned from a 6-month food focused trip to Mexico, has new recipes to share; the legendary Diana Henry will be in conversation with fellow food-writer, Felicity Cloake; and it’s a first visit for Becky Excell aka ‘The Queen of Gluten-free’ who’s got top tips for the budget conscious without compromising on taste and choice. Come and hear Palestinian chef Sami Tamimi, co-founder of the Ottolenghi Restaurant Group, chatting to Yasmin Khan (award-winning author of Middle Eastern travel cookbooks) about ‘Boustany’ (‘my garden’ in Arabic), his first solo cookbook.
Distinctively Welsh
Looking now to Wales, its heritage, and some great food stories. What products are distinctively Welsh and enjoy protected geographical status? Sam Everton, National Chef of Wales, and Calum Smith, Junior Chef of Wales, team up to cook with produce embedded in the country’s culture and terroir; and two leading Welsh chefs also demonstrate how local produce is central to their distinctive styles: Tom Waters, chef-patron of Gorse (awarded Cardiff’s first Michelin Star this year), and Tommy Heaney, who has been redefining Cardiff’s culinary landscape ever since opening his flagship restaurant, Heaneys. Want to get hands-on yourself? Then sign up to a cookery class with Rachael Watson, The Abergavenny Baker who will be running sessions at her own place in town. Enjoy the fruits of your labours with a glass of wine.
Tutored Tastings
The Hensol Castle Drinks Theatre offers a broad spectrum of in-depth tutored tastings. Learn how to build a Welsh cocktail with two of Wales’ most exciting young distillers – Ioan Pearce and James Harrison-Allen, who head up distilleries Dà Mhìle and Still Wild respectively. Pit yourself against the experts in a beer and cheese matching challenge! Discover the principles and techniques of fermentation with Sam Cooper (aka Chef Sam Black who hails from West Wales), or explore the mysterious art of pairing drinks with music in the convivial company of Pete Brown. And If you’re a cheese geek, join Ned Palmer for a tasty trip around the cheeses of France. Get a head start on the Friday evening with a Hensol Castle Distillery event called quite simply ‘The Secrets of Booze’ where Master Distiller Dai Wakely and Kyle Jones, Head of Production, reveal all.
Debates
The Octopus Books Dome brings experts together to discuss topical issues – like ‘Edible Education – how can children learn to eat well?’ which looks at everything from school meals to home meals, from policy to community, to find a way forward. And if you’ve ever thought of starting your own food business, then don’t miss Kate Humble in conversation with inspiring growers and producers. Hear their stories of entrepreneurship, passion, and dedication against the odds. There will also be two BBC radio programmes broadcast from the Dome. Details to be announced later in the year.
Meet The Author
The Festival offers the opportunity to ‘Meet The Author’ with small and intimate chats in Abergavenny’s lovely library (which by the way has a great bird’s eye view of the market hall with beautifully crafted ducks and geese in the rafters). Some guests are predominantly chefs. Others are food and travel writers. Different perspectives. Continents crossed. Extraordinary stories shared. Caroline Eden takes the reader on a journey on foot in the hills and valleys of Georgia and Armenia through her recipe book, ‘Green Mountains’; while George Egg’s new book ‘The Snack Hacker’ will appeal to the well-seasoned cook and to the kitchen-shy alike.
Family Activities
Bring children to the Festival and take them to the Castle grounds for all kinds of workshops and fun creative activities. Be sure to get them enrolled in a Castell Howell Kids’ Cookery school session, run by Sara Butler of Cook Stars Newport Ebbw Vale and Monmouthshire. Help nurture the UK’s future chefs!
Tickets
A Stroller Ticket gives access to six market venues, chef dems, talks, and children’s activities. Free entry for under 13s if accompanied by an adult. Drinks Theatre, Meet The Author sessions, Borough Theatre talks, cookery workshops, Night Market and Party at The Castle are individually ticketed. See the full guest line-up and buy tickets on our What’s On page