Welsh Food Bites

After Llandeilo it was over to St Fagans for their second food festival. I missed last year and was determined to see what they were doing. A two day festival, entrance was free but there was a charge for car parking but this event did not get any funding from Wag.

 Friendly staff and so, so busy despite a poor weather forecast. I was offered a free map showing where everything was which was a great help and I headed off to the market area where there was a good selection of hot food available. Another of my favourites Samosaco were there so that was my lunch sorted and as always it was delicious. There was some seating there too and they’d also put out straw bales which worked well.

Off then to the food halls and I guess they had probably 70 food and drink stall altogether and what a huge pleasure not only to see more of our Best Of Welsh & Borders food producers there and they were all very, very happy. Another favourite was there, Preseli Coffee which ensured that I got my caffeine fix and boy do these guys know how to make coffee!!!! It had been a busy day all round and of course, plenty of punters kept the producers smiling. I did get time to chat to a few of our guys and the feeling of this festival was not just that they had marketed it well was that all the staff and volunteers were friendly and helpful. It’s no wonder that the atmosphere was so good and I’d also say infectious too! I was introduced to Mared Maggs one of the organisers and she said that last year they didn’t get everything right but they did listen to feedback from both producers and visitors and made improvements for this year. An organiser, who not only listens to feedback, but actually encourages it. This is the sort of thing I love to hear and whilst this continues to happen, this event will go from strength to strength – without Wag funding and their success will be so well-deserved.

Fabulous and friendly St Fagans -if you missed this year do try and get there next year. 

Now as if my day was long enough, it was then off to Caerphilly to attend Proms in the Park, thanks to an invite from the BBC. It was an evening I was looking forward to and it was great to meet the people from BBC that generally I only speak to via email. Their hospitality was brilliant but the weather ensured we got washed out before we really got started. What a huge shame not just for the BBC but for Caerphilly Council who had put in so much hard work and was more than well attended even with such awful weather.