The Abergavenny Food Festival is an annual

food festival A food festival is a festival, that uses food, often produce, as its central theme. These festivals have always been a means of uniting communities through celebrations of harvests and giving thanks for a plentiful growing season. History Food ...

which takes place in the town of Abergavenny in Wales each September. It was listed as 1 of 50 Best Summer Festivals by ''The Independent'' newspaper.

History

The festival was founded in 1999, by two local farmers, Chris Wardle and Martin Orbach, in the aftermath of the

BSE BSE may refer to: Medicine * Bovine spongiform encephalopathy, also known as mad cow disease, a neurodegenerative disease of cattle * Breast self-examination Stock exchanges * Bahrain Stock Exchange, Bahrain * Baku Stock Exchange, Azerbaijan * B ...

crisis.

The 2019 festival was attended by over 35,000 people. No festival is planned in 2020. Over the years the festivals celebrity guests have included:

Valentine Warner Valentine Warner (born 1972) is a chef. He started his television career on the BBC in autumn 2008 with '' What to Eat Now'', a cookery programme based on his book of the same name. His parents were Simone Georgina de Ferranti (née Nangle) and t ...

Tom Parker Bowles Thomas Henry Parker Bowles (; born 18 December 1974) is a British food writer and food critic. Parker Bowles is the author of seven cookbooks and, in 2010, won the Guild of Food Writers 2010 award for his writings on British food. He is known ...

, Mitch Tonks,

Michael Winner Robert Michael Winner (30 October 1935 – 21 January 2013) was a British filmmaker, writer, and media personality. He is known for directing numerous action, thriller, and black comedy films in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, including several c ...

Matt Tebbutt Matt may refer to: *Matt (name), people with the given name ''Matt'' or Matthew, meaning "gift from God", or the surname Matt *In British English, of a surface: having a non-glossy finish, see gloss (material appearance) *Matt, Switzerland, a mu ...

, Mark Hix, Marguerite Patten OBE, Levi Roots,

Keith Floyd Keith Floyd (28 December 1943 – 14 September 2009) was a British celebrity cook, restaurateur, television personality and "gastronaut" who hosted cooking shows for the BBC and published many books combining cookery and travel. On televi ...

John Burton Race John William Burton-Race (born 1 May 1957) is a British Michelin starred chef, television personality and celebrity chef, made famous by the Channel 4 series ''French Leave'' and its sequel ''Return of the Chef'' and '' I'm a Celebrity...Get Me O ...

, Valentine Warner,

Jay Rayner Jason Matthew Rayner (born 14 September 1966) is an English journalist and food critic. Early life Jason Matthew Rayner was born on 14 September 1966. He is the younger son of Desmond Rayner and journalist Claire Rayner. His family is Jewish. H ...

, Pete Brown,

Jason Atherton Jason Atherton (born 6 September 1971) is an English chef and restaurateur. His flagship restaurant Pollen Street Social gained a Michelin Star in 2011, its opening year. He was the Executive Chef at Gordon Ramsay's Michelin starred ''Maze'' i ...

Henry Dimbleby Henry Richard Melville Dimbleby (born May 1970) is a British businessman and cookery writer who is a co-founder of Leon Restaurants and the Sustainable Restaurant Association. He was appointed lead non-executive board member of the Department ...

George Alagiah George Maxwell Alagiah ( born 22 November 1955) is a British newsreader, journalist and television news presenter. Since 3 December 2007, he has been the presenter of the ''BBC News at Six'' and was previously the main presenter of '' GMT'' o ...

, Franco Taruschio,

Fergus Henderson Fergus Henderson (born 31 July 1963) is an English chef who founded the restaurant St John on St John Street in London. He is often noted for his use of offal and other neglected cuts of meat as a consequence of his philosophy of nose to tai ...

, Christophe Langree,

Antonio Carluccio Antonio Carluccio, OBE OMRI (; 19 April 1937 – 8 November 2017) was an Italian chef, restaurateur and food expert, based in London. He was called "the godfather of Italian gastronomy", with a career of more than 50 years. He is perhaps best re ...

, Anthony Bourdain,

Allegra McEvedy Allegra Sarah Bazzett McEvedy MBE (born November, 23 1970) is an English chef, broadcaster and writer. Early life McEvedy was born and raised in Hammersmith. Interviewed by ''The New York Times'', she said, "Mine was all about what we’d h ...

, Jose Pizarro, Alex James,

Clarissa Dickson Wright Clarissa Theresa Philomena Aileen Mary Josephine Agnes Elsie Trilby Louise Esmerelda Dickson Wright (24 June 1947 – 15 March 2014) was an English celebrity cook, television personality, writer, businesswoman, and former barrister. She was bes ...

, Fergus Henderson,

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall Hugh Christopher Edmund Fearnley-Whittingstall (born 14 January 1965) is an English celebrity chef, television personality, journalist, food writer, and campaigner on food and environmental issues. Fearnley-Whittingstall hosted the ''River C ...

, Asma Khan,

Organisation

The festival is a

non-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

organisation with an unpaid Board of Directors and small core team of year-round part-time staff. The current Chief Executive is Kim Waters, previously the Chairman. The Festival is additionally supported by organisations and individuals in both the public and private sectors.

Overview of Festival (1999–2019, 2021–)

The planning for the first festival started in 1998. Run by volunteers it was helped by the then 'three towns adviser' of Monmouth, Chepstow & Abergavenny and the Monmouthshire food initiative officer. 39 local food and drink producers exhibited their wares in the Market Hall. Market Hall - Abergavenny - panoramic (18874803900)

Market Hall - Abergavenny - panoramic (18874803900)

The first programme was a double sided single fold card. There were 2 talks (Attended by 234 people) in the Borough Theatre

Marguerite Patten Hilda Elsie Marguerite Patten, (née Brown; 4 November 1915 – 4 June 2015), was a British home economist, food writer and broadcaster. She was one of the earliest celebrity chefs (a term that she disliked at first) who became known during Wo ...

and Franco & Ann Taruschio and, in the evening,

Martyn Lewis Sir Martyn John Dudley Lewis (born 7 April 1945) is a Welsh television news presenter and journalist. He was a presenter for BBC News television programmes between 1986 and 1999 and was known for his involvement in the coverage of the death o ...

chaired a debate about GM Foods (Attendance 91). The Community Banquet (now called the 'Festival Fanfare', also previously referred to as the 'Market Hop' country supper and '

Twmpath ''Twmpath'' () is a Welsh word literally meaning a hump or tump, once applied to the mound or village green upon which the musicians sat and played for the community to dance. ''Twmpath dawnsiau'' were a form of barn dance organised by Urdd Gobai ...

'. – On Saturday evening 23 October 1999, the Market Hall hosted 180 people at trestle tables for dinner, punctuated by interludes of song and speech. Other events included Farm Walks, a Marcher Day apple exhibition, guided tour of Abergavenny Museum, and 'Revolting Rhymes' an exhibition of Children's Verse in Abergavenny Library. The Abergavenny Market Hall was a key venue and the festival worked with the town hall staff (many of whom are still involved today). Funding: £15,500 came from a variety of sources. A further £1,800 was raised from private sponsors and in addition the festival made £4,295 from the sale of tickets to events and stall holders etc. Any profits are used to help finance future festivals.

2012–2015

Over the years the festival has grown to become the National Tourism Awards "Best Event in Wales" 2013/14 and Finalist of the "Best Event in Wales ( Large)" 2015 and one of the leading food events in the UK, attracting visitors from all over the country and from abroad. The event now comprises: Abergavenny Food Festival - geograph

* Around 220 stalls spread across several indoor sites in the centre of Abergavenny and throughout central streets. * Around 50 individually ticketed events: Master Classes, Tutored Tastings, Talks, Forays and

Debates Debate is a process that involves formal discourse on a particular topic, often including a moderator and audience. In a debate, arguments are put forward for often opposing viewpoints. Debates have historically occurred in public meetings, a ...

. * Children's Food Academy at The Castle (family-friendly venue) – featuring interactive workshops for all ages. * 'Rude Health' Speakers Corner: featuring celebrity guests. * Rolling programme of Chef Dems in the Market Hall and in the Fish Market at The Priory Centre featuring the Restaurant Tasters at St Michael's Centre where chefs and restaurateurs from across

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...

cook their signature dishes. * Party at The Castle: An evening of music and food – capacity: 1,000.

The Festival Debates (1999-)

''1999'' – ''"GMO's Do we need them?"'' chaired by BBC Broadcaster

(Attendance 91) • ''2000'' – ''"Organic Food, Hope or Hype?"'' chaired by BBC Broadcaster

(Attendance 89) • ''2001'' – ''"Beyond Fast Food? A Menu for the 21st Century"'' Produced in association with the BBC Radio 4 Food Programme and • ''2013'' – ''"Do we still need the High Street?"'' • ''2002'' – "''Today's meat culture is Unsafe, Unsavoury and Unsustainable"'' chaired by

Sheila Dillon Sheila Dillon is a British food journalist who began her career writing for the New York food magazine ''Food Monitor''. She is known to listeners of Radio Four as presenter of ''The Food Programme'', on which she has appeared for more than 20 ye ...

• ''2012'' – ''"Do we still need the High Street?"''• ''2013'' – ''"Food or wildlife- are we striking the right balance?" chaired by Sarah Dickens, BBC Wales • ''2014'' – ''"Is healthy eating making us ill?" Chaired by Nick Barnard of Rude Health'' Abergavenny - Frogmore Street - geograph

Abergavenny - Frogmore Street - geograph

The Festival Conferences (2007-)

''2007'' – "''Food Festivals – fads for affluent foodies or can have a real impact on local food culture"'' chaired by

, presenter of BBC Radio 4's

The Food Programme ''The Food Programme'' is a BBC Radio 4 programme investigating and celebrating good food, founded by Derek Cooper and currently presented by Sheila Dillon, Dan Saladino, Leyla Kazim and Jaega Wise. The series is produced by BBC Audio in Bris ...

• ''2008'' – "''Developing Regional & Local Food Tourism in the UK"'' • ''2009'' – The Big Food Debate. ''" Sustainable Food – The Debate over Greening the Food Chain – from Policy to Plate"'' Covered by The Food Programme on

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...

. • ''2010'' – ''"Food Festivals: The Next Generation"'' • ''2011'' – ''"Changing Attitudes to Local Food"'' • ''2012'' – ''"Food in a Recession"''

References

{{reflist

External links

Abergavenny Food Festival
– main festival official website. Food and drink festivals in the United Kingdom Abergavenny Annual events in Wales 1999 establishments in Wales Festivals established in 1999 Autumn events in Wales