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Posts Tagged ‘food festival organisers’

Gorseinon Food Festival

30 Apr

This was a good festival last year, so after getting the programme through, I drove across on Saturday to see what 2012 would bring. AA signage was good going into Gorseinon and I was pleased to see that they had again got a shuttle bus service in operation which was much needed and worked very well. But with lots of magazines in the boot I thought I’d  see if I could get parked in
the traders car park – cheeky I know! Well a polite volunteer explained that the heavy rain had turned the trade park into a squelchy mess and she was concerned if I actually got on, would I get off? Fair point, but she directed me to the back entrance where another friendly male volunteer found us a dry spot to park up. So after a fair drive, and feeeling rather chilly, it was another good start to this event. What difference pleasant helpful volunteers make.

First job was to search out my contact Karen. It was lovely to catch up and be able to put a face to a person I’d only spoken to on the phone and by email. Karen, as always, had plenty of information and news to offer and she also introduced me to the Mayor. The weather was cold, windy but it didn’t stop people arriving and a busy marquee was just what the traders needed.  There was a bit of a change around this year with the stands all being incorporated into the main marquee, instead of those selling
hot food being positioned outside. With the weather as it was I think this worked well but at times the marquee did get rather smoky. Anywya there was certainly no hope of sitting outside in the sunshine. I’m sure if the traders wdisagree with me it will come through on their feedback forms and the organisers can get more feedback on whether that was a success or not.

The demo kitchen area was situated just inside the entrance, instead of as last year down at the end of the marquee. But for me
that didn’t work as well.  The organisers had done the area well and I was really pleased to see a large board that clearly showed who was cooking and when – other festival please note!

But with quite a lot going on around the entrance, ladies selling raffle tickets and the superb giant jubilee cake which was sold in aid of the Gorseinon Foodbank and the Cystic Fibrosis Unit at Singleton Hospital, which was a great idea to support two very good causes. So with all that going on I still think the demo area would have worked better down at the bottom of the marquee. It would have dragged people all the way through the marquee and helped the tradestands that had been sited down in that area, which seemed to be a fair bit quieter than those at the entrance. Not sure why this was changed, whether it was electric costs or just trying something different, but with such a popular feature, I’m sure you could have got more chairs in as it was always full when I tried to get a seat.

So from my point of view, Gorseinon was a great success. We did have a lot of Best Of Welsh & Borders producers there and of course many did find time to talk as I was there for five hours……….I did hear from a few traders, who hadn’t done that well, but again they were mostly down at the end of the marquee. If people were walking down that far, the chances were that they’d already bought their cheese, beer, jams etc. Ok it was ever thus, but we do have to remember that wag stipulate that even a small festival, with under 3,000 footfall must have no less than 25 food producers exhibiting to get funding. Larger ones with over 3,000 footfall must have no less than 35 producers exhibiting to be eligible for funding support. Food and drink producers must also form at least 80% of the total exhibitors.  So with the wag’s restrictions, organisers also have problems too, many simply cannot run unless they get funding so bascially organsiers do have to do as they are told! I’m still convinced that if traders have ‘demands,’ than a polite request will often suffice. But if you can’t agree then the choice is yours not to attend isn’t it? I wish we could solve these regualrs grubles that come up each year and just wish someone would tell me how to do it.

Gorseinon got people into the event,  so they did their job well and my congratulations once again for a good event. But once the
people are in, it’s down to producers to sample and sell and I must also say that quite a few were sampling and getting out from behind their stands and talking to people. That was good to see and works as long as you don’t obstruct your neighbours!!!

Well done everyone at Gorseinon ………

 
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‘A Sense Of Place’ For Welsh Food………

17 Apr

Just to keep you updated, follows is an extract from press release received from Wag on 30th January about their support for food festivals.

Alun Davies, Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries said, “Each year food festivals in Wales contribute millions of pounds to the economy and are a key element in promoting Wales’ burgeoning food culture and giving visitors a sense of place’. Large or small, they have their own distinct character, but with one common thread – to bring to the public’s attention the fantastic array of food and drink produced in Wales.”

The press release ended by saying:
“Any financial support provided by FMDD will be limited to that which is necessary to achieve the overall objective of providing capacity building opportunities for food & drink producers from Wales as well as contributing to a broadened & strengthened rural economy”.

Well this got me thinking, or fuming, because basically I’m not sure what this press release means. Initially I would think building opportunities for food and drink producers from Wales is spot on, until I get complaints from producers saying that some festival organisers, give priority to producers from outside Wales.  But its not just a priority in allowing them tradestand space, but often they get the best sites too! So how does that work? Especially considering that this isn’t just happening at the larger, or let’s say Wag’s ‘Big Three’, Abergavenny, Conwy and Cardiff that allow all comers in from the UK, but those that I’d class as only small to medium size events. When I have raised these issues with Wag, I’ve been told that as this funding is from European money, all
tradestands must be accepted.

But if you’re a visitor to Wales and go along to one of our food festivals, where do you expect the food to have come from, the Isle of Wight, Scotland, Oxfordshire, Yorkshire? Of course not. ‘A sense of place’ for our visitors has to mean local food, food sourced here in Wales from our superb artisan producers. Isn’t that what you’d expect too?

So why then does Wag’s press release appear to say that they are backing our food producers all the way? That
is certainly not what I hear day after day so eiother Wag is wrong or our producers are. After talking contstantly to our Best If Welsh & Borders producers, I certainly know which I believe.

 
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Food Festival Listing Update

29 Mar

Another post as no press release from the Wag as yet as regards the food festival listing that was
promised w/c 19th March. The latest news into our office, although not from wag, is from an organiser who has been told they’ll receive news of funding by the middle of next week. So will this be better than an Easter egg from wag or not?

I’m sorry for those that are still contacting us by phone and email to get this listing, but as I’ve said before, when I get it, all our Best Of Welsh & Borders producers will have it emailed to them and of course I’ll publish it in full, here on welshfoodbites and of course on welshcountry.co.uk.

 
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Delay In Sending Out Festival Application Forms

06 Feb

A festival organiser rang in this morning, moaning to me that their food festival funding application forms were only received at the end of January, with the closing date for applications of February.  

Now the main moan was because these application forms were supposed to have been sent out last November and no-one knows why there has been a delay. My quick quip of ‘wag food’ – well, that didn’t even raise a chuckle. So I followed on by offering some wag names and contact numbers that I have, which might be able to clarify the delay.  But that wasn’t a good idea because, ‘I daren’t complain and bite the hand that is giving out the grants’.

I so fed-up of hearing this from people. I’d hardly call this a complaint, but a question. But apparently not much point in asking wag questions.

So it appears that I’m here to allow this organiser to let off steam – and to get on welshfoodbites – as long as I don’t mention the festival!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In part, I can understand this organiser, as I can understand the producers who don’t wish to jeopardise a grant by complaining to wag either. But nothing will change in this industry if wag ‘in their wisdom’ think everything they do is acceptable. I’ve been told by wag that there is a complaints procedure for anyone who is unhappy, but let’s go no further on that one shall we, as I’m still unhappy with how things are run in food.  

I explained to this organiser that wag had kindly told me last week that the application forms went out at the end of January with a closing date of 17th February. In the past wag have never let me know when these forms have gone out so I’ve no idea on the normal timescale of this. Bearing in mind the festival organisers meeting in Machynlleth was held November, did an organiser ask then when the forms would be sent out? If not, why not? But if so, what’s wrong with ringing and asking about the cause of the delay?

I haven’t further information on this as most of my news/views are from organisers or producers, rather than wag.

I think we are in a sad situation as producers and organisers seem rather fearful of wag food – which is far from ideal to build an industry and certainly not in these difficult trading times.

But what really concerns me, is that I have a full list of wag supported festivals as soon as possible as both my Best Of Welsh & Borders producers and my readers want this information – now rather than later.

So as soon as we have it we’ll publish it on our websites: welshcountry and welshfoodbites.

 
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What Does 2012 Hold for the Welsh Food Industry?

05 Jan

As we wait to hear, without holding our breath of course, to see what funding will be available for food festivals, and as to which of them will be favoured and which will fall by the wayside, I’m afraid my concern about our food industry has not disappeared. The more producers I talk to, the gloomier much of their feedback is. But whilst we still struggle to make Wag Food listen, I have a little ‘news’ to impart. I’ve been told that Wag has been asking some producers if they are interested in a wagProcessors & Producers Group being set up by Wag. Now where did they get this idea from – welshfoodbites perhaps? I’m not sure if this only applies to larger companies who are on Wags ‘favoured list’ and or those companies who have been lucky enough to receive a True Taste Award, or in many ways, even better, a grant from Wag. I’m sure it will be a selective list of companies, and if this is the case it will not be a fair representation of the Welsh food, but that is how Wag appears to work. It this does happen then maybe I will not be the only one who is dismayed to hear one of Wag’s latest plans……….

I have been asking and asking Wag to communicate with food producers and of course selfishly with the media press too – but this message has obviously been ignored, or maybe just because it was one of my ideas – it’s been dumped in their bin, which would be rather childish, wouldn’t it?

But let me take just a little comfort from the fact that some producers did get invited to the ‘surprise’ food festivals organisers meeting in November. But wasn’t it rude and unfair of Wag to then not give those that took precious time away from their businesses, not to give them the opportunity of airing their views. Just what was the point of that Wag, paying lip service to me?

I feel so sorry for the producers that these Civil Servants who should be a huge help to them, and never more so than in these difficult trading times, fail to understand what producer’s need and this is because those Civil Servants cannot be bothered to communicate with them. I suggested to one senior Food Civil Servant that it was their job as the food department, not only to talk to food producers of ALL sizes of businesses, but also to listen to their requirements. Not all of them want to go the supermarket route or believe the True Taste is their  way to go either, so we can only hope that in 2012, Wag Food will  understand this message and act upon it.

 
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Food Festival Consultation Workshop

14 Nov

After visiting over 20, mostly funded food festivals this year, and then taken the time and trouble to blog them, I must confess to be feeling very disenchanted about the food festival scene inWales.

Wherever Ian and I go, whenever we are talking to the food industry, we are constantly being asked about festivals and their future – as if anyone in power would tell me! But this is generally from producers who are also rather disillusioned about what Wag might have planned for 2012.  For many years Ian and I have been asking and advising Wag to talk to producers and more importantly to listen to what they have to say, sadlly I thought this had fallen on deaf ears.  

But dear readers, it looks like we are making some progress after all – hurrah, hurrah!!! I’m grateful for the organisers who have told me about a Food Festivals Consultation Workshop that is being held on 16th November. Of course it’s Wag’s agenda, and of course Wag haven’t told us about it, and of course Ian and I aren’t invited, BUT the important issue is that it’s happening.  

I have to accept that Wag are hardly likely to admit that Welsh Country magazine and welshfoodbites can offer any help to the food industry. Maybe it’s just too difficult for them to accept that we can be of use to them and after working so hard for Welsh food over the last seven years, that’s disappointing, to say the least, but we do apprecaite it takes strong, confident people to say ‘we got it wrong.’ Our food producers however know what’s happening and our concern is for them. It’s our objective to build a better Welsh food industry, but why Wag can’t see that and work with us, is down to them. That we have to plough through the Welsh politics and Welsh Civil Service twaddle to make progress, is par for the course and will no doubt continue.

Anyway this Workshop is the good news and something that has been badly needed and is years overdue. Now we must hope that the organisers will give full and frank feedback, along with their comments, without worrying that if they ‘say the wrong thing, i.e. something Wag doesn’t wish to hear, their future funding could be in jeopardy. This is one of Wag’s main problems. I’d like to know if some of our professional food festival producers have been invited, because what is so important is that this industry is their livelihood and they too have a right to be consulted. I am well aware that some comments come back that producers shouldn’t rely on festivals, but I don’t agree with that, not every producer can plan or wants to go the supermarket way.         

What has been interesting is the response to welshfoodbites, where of course, food festivals have been a very hot topic. I have been forthright in my views of what I have seen at the food festivals I have attended. Yes ok these are my thoughts, but as a passionate Welsh foodie why am I not coming away from these events delighted to have made the effort to attend them? Well quite frankly, far too many have still got the basics wrong. I’ll not bore regular readers, yet again, by spouting my ‘could-do-better’ lists. Suffice it to say if organisers cannot get the town behind them and get basic signage out early, they shouldn’t be running and certainly not be funded.   

I didn’t attend many festivals in the north this year, which is purely down to lack of time. But of those I did attend, the ones that stood out for me that were funded were: Cowbridge and Really Wild and for non-funded ones: Big Cheese and St Fagans. But four out of twenty is not a good ratio at all from a foodie.

I have been vocal in the amount of money that Abergavenny,Cardiff and Conwy take from the festival budget and I know that Wag have this year elevated the ‘Big Three’ to international status, citing their value for tourism. But if tourism is so vital in relation to food, how much does Visit Wales put into the food festival budget? This also links into another question being asked, who are food festivals for: producers/tourism/economic development/other? But surely if food festivals are not there for food producers, why did Wag work to a criteria that this year food festivals had to have food as the core activity? Hitting some festivals hard including The Smallholder. If food producers aren’t that important to food festivals then why do organisers generally want their stands fees in so early, or maybe, being really silly, why do food producers have to pay to go to festivals at all? Another question is self-funding, which Wag have told me for years food festivals should aim to be, yet appears to contradict that statement when it raises the big three to international status and maintains their funding levels. Aren’t these three in particular capable of getting sponsorship? Because it they can’t there’s is no hope for some of the smaller ones. Let’s also be sensible here too, one size does not fit all and that applies to food festivals too – the needs for a small festival from Wag will surely be different say to Cardiff wont it?  

For once I can congratulate Wag for listening and putting on this event. I do query who will actually be attending, but at least they are making a start. Hopefully it will prove a successful meeting and maybe pave the way forward for a more profitable stable future for food producers. I’m sure I will get feedback after the meeting, maybe not of course from Wag, but that is realistically not expected.

 
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Bridgend Feastival

03 Oct

Yes that’s what it was called, a feastival rather than a festival.

Made a late decision to attend on Friday afternoon and struggled to get list of stand holders from website but Ian rang Bridgend Council and spoke to a helpful guy called John who efficiently sent through a list so we could plan our Saturday at Bridgend. Bridgend are at the top of my very short ‘helpful council’  list alongside Caerphilly.    

It’s been a long time since I visited Bridgend and after leaving the M4,  travelled along A48, my eyes peeled for signs promoting the event. Well yet again I failed to find signs and it was just as well I knew it was taking place in the town centre, because at least I could find my way there. If you’re a regular reader of welshfoodbites you’ll be as fed-up as I am about my complaining about the same things: lack of signage, lack of press releases and often poor websites. This event received £9,950.00 from Wag and once again as a journalist, I haven’t received a single press release about this event. But why does this happen time and time again and after all that money was spent on a report by Miller Research? Maybe the question that needs an urgent and honest answer is why does Wag allow this situation to continue? If Wag’s answer, should they be bothered to address this matter, is that we are giving food festivals money and they can do whatever they wish with it – then that is simply not acceptable. Unless Wag you are considerate and honest enough to tell our producers that basically they take pot luck as to whether festival organisers can be bothered to promote and market their event. Perhaps Bridgend’s attitude is this food feastival is just to promote the town and we’re not interested in attracting visitors from outside Bridgend. Then that’s fair enough if they make producers aware of this attitude but my concern is why does Wag fund it to the tune of nearly £10k? Shouldn’t the council be prepared to pay for more of it themselves?

Not being familiar with Bridgend, I found it difficult to work out where everyone was. There was a stand at one end with literature so I picked up a leaflet but couldn’t take a map with me as it was pinned to the table. Luckily more maps must have arrived later as I did see people studying them. Local gardener and a BBC Radio 2 favourite, Terry Walton was in attendance, giving talks and advice about gardens and allotments. The layout formed a square in the town, so it was quite easy to follow and there were banners along those streets and on lamp posts. There was street entertainment and a cookery demo area with blackboard details of which chef was working and the dish they were cooking. So that was good to see.

The Farmers’ Market area was bustling and it was good to see many of our Best Of Welsh & Borders producers, (BOW) there. Lovely to a Bridgend Farmers Market banner saying 10 years of trading 1999 -2009 hope they keep up the good work for another ten years! The event was blessed with beautiful weather and I’m sure Cowpots ice-cream did good trade with their super range along with some delicious cheese too!          

As often happens at festivals, there was now area with tables and chairs for visitors to seat down and eat their purchases. Far too many people had to resort to eating and walking in the street, or just leaning against a wall to eat. This is hardly satisfactory for the young, let alone the elderly, infirm or those with children.  I’m sorry but that’s really not good enough, it’s important that this is ignored far too often. The reason people are there is to buy produce and we should be encouraging them to eat it some produce there before buying more to take home. The cafes took advantage of this oversight but having lots of tables and chairs out but this doesn’t not help our producers sell more produce does it?  There was a large area outside Nat. West bank; I think that was Adare Street, which would have been perfect for a seating area and other spots which would have also worked.

Chatting to some of our BOW producers they were having a reasonable event, not brilliant, but not too bad – thank goodness the weather was on their side.  

 

I’m just disappointed that Wag allows the same old problems/issues to continue instead of pushing their funded events to improve. I have no idea whether any Wag person visited but I’d love to see their overview of this event – in fact all events that have been funded this year.

 
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When Will Wag Wake-Up To Marketing?

12 Sep

When will Wag wake-up and ensure that food festivals they fund get the basics right? When will they insist that banners and poster around the town are an essential marketing tool? On Saturday 10th September I travelled to Llandeilo and as I knew my favourite coffee man was trading elsewhere I called into the town for a much needed coffee boost.

However my walk around Llandeilo was useful to me as I played my ‘spot the poster game’ but I didn’t win, failing to spot a single poster or flyer. As I wandered around Llandeilo, I also spoke to a few locals, but no-one knew anything about a food festival, or that it was running that very weekend. I had travelled from Newcastle Emlyn to Llandeilo without seeing a banner and I then drove from Llandeilo to Dinefwr before I saw my first banner and that was only when I had driven off the main road into Dinefwr itself  – and there was the sight of my first banner on their railings and fairly well hidden by branches!

The festival was organised by Menter Bro Dinefwr, the Welsh language initiative and community development agency, and its main objectives were to promote local produce for local people, support the local economy by attracting visitors to the area and to host an event that reflects the area’s linguistic and cultural nature. These are worthy objectives and much needed, but I’m at a loss as to how they hoped to attract local people and visitors to this event when basic signage was missing, and the town hadn’t been blitzed with posters and flyers. I have no idea what advertising took place, I knew about it only because it was one Wag’s list as a funded festival and they did receive £5,612.69 to help them.

On Friday I went onto www.menterbrodinefwr.org from the Visit Carmarthenshire Website and got a   403 – Forbidden: Access is denied so I couldn’t find any information at all, but there again I’m only press with an interest in food!

I am totally fed-up of writing and writing about the same basic problems which so many festivals and markets fail to address. Wag in their ‘wisdom’ seem able to ignore these basics year after year but still keep forking out our money to help these events out. Wag get the message if you are putting money in then make it a directive that these events have to implement some standard PR & Marketing.

Organisers need reminding time and time again that festivals and markets are how producers ‘try’ to earn their living. It’s not a weekend break from them doing these events, they need to earn some money and can’t do that if you are unable to get people into your event. Once the people are in if the producers can’t make sales then that is seriously their problem, but up to that point it isn’t.  Wag if you can’t ensure this happens then don’t give them our money as funding.

I was at Llandeilo around 12.00 and our Best of Welsh & Borders food producers who had been brave enough, or silly enough, to take a stand had plenty of time to talk as we played our least favourite game of ‘spot the punter’. That was a waste of time because for hours we could only play ‘count the yellow jackets’ and they were plenty of those about!

I do hope that trade improved for those guys, but I was not impressed, in fact I was very disappointed, but not as much as if I’d taken my tradestand there, that’s for sure!!!

 
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Llandysul – Food Festival Or A Town Fête?

27 Jun

It was mid afternoon when I called into to this festival and must say I hadn’t realised it was due to close at 4.00pm. Which if you’re paying for stand and only allowed to trade from 11.00 until 4.00pm, those hours are akin to a farmers’ market but with stand prices that are usually much higher. My question as to whether this is a food festival or a town fete is that there were about 23 craft and school stands and about 22 food stands. I have so many complaints and anger from food festival organisers following Wag ‘s criteria that food will be the core activity to receive funding, yet we are only part way through the festival season and there are already far too many anomalies or festivals which Wag have allowed to slip through their very own net. Wag you are aware this situation is not acceptable, but the question is still outstanding as just what you are going to do about it and when?  

Anyway back to the festival, I started my walk around at 3.00 which was not a good move, as stands had not only packed up by then, but a few had actually left. There were bare empty tables with still an hour to go. So who allowed ’traders’ to disappear before the event officially closed? One of the schools had a huge run of tentage with what appeared to be a pupil painting display, but this was also cleared and away by 3.15pm – why? 

I’m sorry guys, I just don’t get this. You have professional traders, struggling, yes struggling to make a living, and you have an abundance of amateur/charity stalls that seem to throw in the towel when the day is just too much, or too long for them – why? I went into the cookery demonstration area which was busy, whether it was the inclement weather or the draw of the chefs, I’m not sure, but busy is good. I was puzzled though to see in a corner of the marquee, a tea/coffee/cake stall which I think was run by one of the schools, was this a paid-for stand? My concern, as always was with the professionals, in this instance, Preseli Coffee, which I do confess a huge bias to, as in my view they have the best coffee on the circuit. The Coffee Box was also on site, again selling hot drinks. Popty Bach Y Wlad, Orgranics and Llandysul Country Market all had an impressive stands, with scrummy cakes and biscuits etc. and sadly they’d lots of stock left. Preseli Coffee had no idea this festival was running and were only approached by the Llandysul team at the Newcastle Emlyn festival the week before. I must ask Preseli next time I see them, were they told a stand would be set up in the demo area and that Coffee box was also attending? You simply cannot ignore the hard, cold fact that these people need to sell to exist. The producers will rightly’ blame you if you haven’t got huge numbers of people through, haven’t got a good mix of traders, haven’t planned a packed day to keep people there, and before you think that traders are never happy, remember that guys depend on sales not to holiday in the Bahamas but to keep their businesses afloat. If it’s difficult to understand what the producers need then ask a couple of them if they’ll come on your committee and give a few hours of their time and expertise to raise the standard.         

In my ideal food festival world, the focus would be on food and on the food producers. In my ideal food festival world there would be a covered area for visitors to buy produce from the producers and sit, eat, drink and chat with their friends and family. In fairness Llandysul had got chairs set out by the podium, but these were being cleared away whilst I walked around. But it does show that my idea food festival world is a long way off ……………………….

This festival did put the spotlight on the cookery demonstrations, but I was sad to chat to a couple who had left the demo because it was only being conducted in Welsh. Wag has decreed that all printed matter and websites must be bi-lingual, but have they made a ruling on cookery demos?

I’m not sure what happened at Llandysul, but another of my soap-box issues is that all cookery demos should use produce from the producers at the event. This suggestion is not only logical, it’s also fair. Food festivals, especially those that are being funded by Wag, as this one was to the tune of £9k, has to support Welsh producers, but generally some organisers are losing the food focus and this cannot continue.

My view is that this event was successful as a fete, but not really working as a food festival. The majority of traders didn’t have a good day; although I do appreciate the weather was not on your side as it would have been on Sunday. I am aware that you had tried hard to get in a good mix of producers, but as your date clashes with Hay On Wye, which is another Wag funded festival but not receiving anywhere near as much as Llandysul, it was not going to be an easy task. Producers do talk about the number of visitors through each event and you are just not getting enough onto the field. I have no idea about how you arrange you marketing and advertising perhaps you focus is too local, but I have said that I haven’t received a press release from Llandysul festival. But Llandysul is far from alone in ignoring press releases as a form of communication. Of the 31 festivals Wag is supporting this year, I will be surprised if I get a Press Release from 10 of them, and if any are advertising with us, my team will have pushed for Press Releases so we can give them more publicity.

I got complaints from producers who didn’t know that they had been judged for the ‘Best Stand’ and also didn’t know who had won it! I have no idea who took on the judging, but if they didn’t make themselves known to each stall, is there any point doing it? Surely the traders of all people should know what’s going on. shouldn’t they? Traders also complained to me that they couldn’t even find their way to the festival because there were very few signs out. I only saw two, which is just not good enough the whole area around the town should have been blitzed with banners.

I was told a Wag official visited in the morning, but it would be interesteing to know whether this was just a box-ticking excercise  or whether our notes actually agreed on anything!!!

 
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Has Newport Found A Loophole To Get Festival Funding?

21 Jun

This year Newport are running a food festival for what I understand is the first time and are receiving financial support of £15,171k  from Wag. As Newport have asked for more than £10k, that means they’ve had to supply Wag with a business plan for the event, but with the Council’s financial department to hand, this is not proved a deterrent to Newport as it has to other festivals. Newport takes place on 28/29th October, partly clashing with Cowbridge, with Newport having the advantage of free entry on both days apart from having some ticketed activity.     

I’ve been onto Newport Food Festival website today, which is actually Newport City Council website.  Then I got rather confused as to whether this festival is a stand alone event or not. It appears to be running through the tail end of Newport Festival which is launched on 24th July. Our office has rung Newport Council and been told it’s part of the Newport Festival, but under Wag’s 2011 criteria, ‘food activity must be the core’. Well as we;ve been  told it’s part of the Newport Festival, how can food be the core activity?  Another interesting fact to throw into this mix is that the Newport Food Festival website url is owned by Miller Research. Regular readers will be aware that Miller Research from Abergavenny were asked by Wag to do an analysis of all the food festivals they funded last year……………..   

Regular readers will also know how angry I am that Smallholder was thrust into turmoil when Wag refused to fund them this year. Bearing in mind that the Smallholder was originally run by Wag themselves. No funding caused huge problems for everyone, plus gave no alternative but to have increased tradestand prices, just because Wag stuck to their criteria – well in this instance they did. The Royal Welsh and the Winter Fair will not have this problem as both these events are conveniently funded by Wag out of a different Wag budget!!

I have never had so many calls and emails about matters festival related as I have this year. Plus I have no idea at all why Wag needs to make life in the food sector more complicated that it is. When Wag have their usual Food Festival Organisers meeting in February, why couldn’t all these issues have been sorted out there and then? Why am I now in a situation where I’m being asked questions that I have no answers for? If I give people what should be the ‘easy’ solution of ringing Wag and talking to Jon Parker, who I think is still responsible for food festivals, for some reason that never appears to be a favourable option, I wonder why…………………………….

If you have any more news or insights into this situation, then please help me out and let me know. I just don’t understand how this can have happened.

 
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