Wales is one of my favourite places in earth, probably my favourite place actually, having been on holiday there every year since I was born. My mother trained as a teacher in Cardiff in the 1970's and remained there to teach for a couple of years after, where she met a wonderful woman, Benita. They have remained incredibly close friends ever since and they both had girls in 1989: me and Beth who I would consider my oldest, closest friend. They have lived in Abergavenny since I can remember so it has always been an important place for me and I have had so many amazing times in the wonderful town. So to go back for the food festival was to fulfil something I have wanted to do for years but seemingly never had the time/money/opportunity but this year I did, and it lived up to, and surpassed, expectations.
After a six and a half hour drive on Friday I arrived in Abergavenny. Following the greetings and over a cold beer, Beth, me and James (Beth's husband, and my cousin) excitedly looked through the brochure highlighting things we wanted to see. There were so many! But we would get in as much as we could in the limited time we had. Some wine flowed and bedtime came around. In the morning we set out early to have a look at the street stalls before heading into the main market area. The first thing I noticed as soon as we got into the middle of town was the buzz! It really felt like everyone there was on the same level, with the same excitement, and so happy. It definitely helped that the sun was shining.
The Wiltshire Chilli Farm stall initially caught my eye with the most beautiful display of exotic chillies. Where I live, more unusual chillies are pretty hard to come by so all knowledge I have of chillies comes from TV, magazines and restaurants (the only fresh chillies my local supermarket sell are standard red/green and Birds Eye chillies....) The stall holder was so knowledgeable and explained each chilli in such detail, from growing them, heat level, flavour, and to cook with them.
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| The stunning Wiltshire Chilli Farm chillies |
Having bought a selection of chillies, including dried Habanero, fresh Faga, Scotch Bonnet and some Lemon Ajis for me, a Carolina Reaper and a Ghost chilli for someone else as I am far too weak for that heat level, and sampling all the delicious sauces we headed off down the street. We grabbed a coffee and started on the cakes.
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| Flower & White cakes |
The Flower & White stall had the most perfectly formed individual sponges, or 'tweeners', we couldn't resist. They're called 'tweeners' because they are 'not too big and not too small'. Flavours we couldn't resist were banoffee for me, lemon cheesecake for Beth, and raspberry and white chocolate for James. So moist and delicious, they set us up for the rest of the morning (see more at http://flowerandwhite.co.uk/tweeners.php)
We sampled some Bara Brith, a traditional Welsh fruit loaf; some lovely tea at the Chantler Tea stand, a particular favourite of Beth's was the Welsh Sunrise flavoured with orange, ginger, lemongrass and honeybush. We admired the amazing brownies, sampled some fudge, and drooled after the hearty pies on stalls that were lining the streets. By that time, we needed a sit down and it was nearly time for one part of the weekend I had been looking forward to most - seeing Richard Burr, Great British Bake Off finalist in 2014. He has been one of my favourite GBBO contestants over all the series so seeing him was something I was really looking forward to.
Beth and I headed down to the Masonic Hall and sat in the waiting area discussing what we thought he might bake and about the current bake off in general. While waiting, three people joined us at our table to wait to go through to the demonstration room. We began chatting and they told us they were from Frankfurt. We discussed our shared love for the Bake Off and, of course, we had to ask about Dampfnudel. They told us that even in Frankfurt it's unusual to have Dampfnudel and hardly anyone makes them; one of the people said they had only ever had two in their life time. I still want to try one however. By then it was time to go in.
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| Waiting for Richard Burr to begin. |
One of my all time favourite things to make (and eat) is bread. I love it with lashings of salted butter. Yum! So, I was excited to see that he was going to make his showstopper from bread week in 2014 - the Pesto Pinwheel. It was great to see his demonstration. One of my problems with bread is that I never branch out; I've got a recipe that works well for me and I only vary it to add different flavours or shape it differently but generally it is very much the same. Also, prior to this I had been having some trouble with my simple farmhouse bread in that when it was baked it kept having irregular air holes, so I was hoping to get some pointers from him at the end. During the demonstration he described the process of getting onto Bake Off, his thoughts about this series, and the controversial move to Channel 4. At the end we all got to go up and have a taste, suffice to say Beth and I were at the front. He was very obliging and I obviously got a photo with him, sadly however I had just taken a massive bite of his (super tasty) bread right before the photo so I look particularly happy/hamster like. We got to ask questions and he gave me some great pointers with my bread (I wasn't knocking it back enough) and since my bread has been great every time. Thanks Richard!
After that it was down to the Market Hall and Old Cattle Market to explore. There was everything you could ever imagine to do with food and drink. We picked up a beer from The Llangollen Brewery and had a good look about. There was every type of chutney, pickle, and jam; every type of fresh, cured, and cooked meat; a whole area with just street food. A favourite of Beth and James' is the Hang Fire Smokehouse, so we headed over. While waiting in the queue I took the time to enjoy the sights and smells.
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| Looking up towards the Market Hall |
The Hang Fire BBQ was amazing to watch, everything made from scratch with amazing smells and sights. Beth sampled the gumbo served in a hollowed out bread loaf. I treated myself to a pint of Blorenge Golden Ale from the Tudor Brewery stall and we headed off around the rest of the stalls outside marking out ones we were going to come back to. Something I had wanted to go and sample was the Welsh chocolate Nomnom. I'd read about it in Delicious magazine and they all sounded so good, I had to taste them. The stallholder was great and talked to me about the ingredients and processes behind Nomnom, and then I tried every one they had on offer. My favourites included Welsh Cake, Lust - dark chocolate with salted caramel using Anglesey sea salt, and their Waffle Chocolate with chunks of waffle in, a touch of cinnamon and salt. So good.
We headed inside the Market Hall and saw the infamous decorations that hang from the ceiling. They were incredible owls, and the hall was bustling with people and demonstrations.
In the hall we sampled the famous Chase vodka and gin; pates; Halen Mon Anglesey sea salt flavours (charcoal was my favourite - check it out on their website http://www.halenmon.com/product-category/salts/charcoalsalt/); there was every spice mix and more; gadget stalls; and bread and cakes as far as the eye could see; and some intense aromas coming from the demonstration being given by Anand George, Chef Patron of The Purple Poppadom in Cardiff (http://purplepoppadom.com/about/).
After working our way around the Market Hall and with a mouth full of intensely dark chocolate from the Cocoa Runners stall (I would recommend checking out their website (http://cocoarunners.com/), we headed out and down the main street but with an obligatory stop at another amazing chilli stall where I bought some Naga and mushroom chillies. We then sampled from delicious cured meat and a chilli sauce that I really could not handle. Another drink was in order so some golden ale from Brecon Brewing gave me some renewed energy while we took a tour around the stalls next to the church, where I had a taster of some noodles and king prawns followed by some seriously impressive marshmallows.
It was nearly closing time so we managed to squeeze in the last few stalls in the cattle market. A particular favourite of mine was the Hodemdod's stall selling organic grains and pulses from Suffolk and Essex. The stall holder was so knowledgeable, answering a quinoa related question for me and talked us through the growing process and flavour of each product. We sampled some delicious fava beans and discovered some new pulses that I had never heard of, including the Carlin pea. I bought a bag of these along with some dried fava beans, and have since made some fava bean houmus. Find out more about Hodmedod's here: https://hodmedods.co.uk/ and also if you're looking for inspiration using grains and pulses, have a look at their blog https://hodmedods.co.uk/blogs/news.
After, I managed to try some incredible cheese from Alex Jame's farm before having to leave. One of my all time favourite cheeses is Epoisses and the Goddess cheese produced for Alex James is on par if not better than Epoisses (and also cheaper).
After working our way around the Market Hall and with a mouth full of intensely dark chocolate from the Cocoa Runners stall (I would recommend checking out their website (http://cocoarunners.com/), we headed out and down the main street but with an obligatory stop at another amazing chilli stall where I bought some Naga and mushroom chillies. We then sampled from delicious cured meat and a chilli sauce that I really could not handle. Another drink was in order so some golden ale from Brecon Brewing gave me some renewed energy while we took a tour around the stalls next to the church, where I had a taster of some noodles and king prawns followed by some seriously impressive marshmallows.
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| Some of the biggest, juiciest prawns I've ever had. |
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| I'm not really a fan of marshmallow but these were so light and the person who made them explained the process giving me a much greater respect for the (surprisingly complex) marshmallow. |
By this point we were all feeling pretty shattered and it was coming to the time when the general market would close for the day so we decided to make our way back via the old cattle market, and I am so glad we did. Firstly the stalls here were incredible and offered a whole different range of things to what we had not seen during the day, and secondly I saw Candice from The Great British Bake Off. However, I am now so annoyed I didn't have the opportunity to speak to her after seeing the final on Wednesday. Not sure what I would have said anyway....I'm sure she get's sick of the lip related comments.
Back to the food! It was here I had my first Pierogi - a Polish pastry that was offered two ways: one was very similar looking to a Cornish pasty (though a big sign stated 'this is not a Cornish pasty') with various delectable fillings; the other, which was the one I opted for, was a plate of 6 smaller pierogi that were boiled and fried with two fillings. One was mushroom and sauerkraut and the other was potato and onion. Sounds simple but the flavour and texture was perfect. I am not a huge fan of standard pasties - I find them too dry - so these were my perfect doughy alternative. They came served with a bacon stew, a lovely dollop of rich soured cream, with a sprinkle of chives. I thoroughly enjoyed it. The textures and flavours really complimented each other; creamy, salty, sour, tangy - it really hit the spot, and it was washed down with a glass of cool locally produced Perry.
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| This photo on my phone really doesn't do it justice but I am sold with these little pastries. This Guardian article I thought was quite good if interested https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2011/apr/07/pierogi-polish-ravioli-recipe |
After, I managed to try some incredible cheese from Alex Jame's farm before having to leave. One of my all time favourite cheeses is Epoisses and the Goddess cheese produced for Alex James is on par if not better than Epoisses (and also cheaper).
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| Alex James' cheese. So good! |
It was 5pm and it was time to take some time out and re-group, We headed back to have a rest and get ready for the night market. The street food area opened again for the evening along with the gin palace and live music. The evening was as energetic and enticing as the day. We headed straight for the gin palace - a marquee with UK gin distillers including Pinkster, Chase, Warner Edwards, Hepple, Sibling, and (my favourite) Da Mhile. I sampled all of the gins (obivously - how could you not!?!) but Sibling and Da Mhilie really stood out. Sibling gin was so delicious along with an eye catching bottle and an enticing cocktail on offer consisting of gin, Fentiman's pink lemonade, Chambord, topped with blueberries. While the guy on the stall was making this glorious drink for me I asked about the story behind the gin: it was developed by four siblings (get it?) whose parents owned a brewery. After moving away and doing their own thing, the four children decided they wanted to do something together and, having their experience of brewing from their parents, decided this was what they wanted to do and Sibling Gin was born. The square bottle represent the four siblings that are behind the gin (https://siblingdistillery.com/?age-verified=4cee1b5801).
Da Mhile gin was like no other gin I have tasted before. Both gins on offer, the Botanical gin and Seaweed gin. Sampled both and they were incredible - so smooth and flavoursome. The Seaweed gin tipped it for me as it is so unusual. It is made using Celtic Seaweed and has beautifully subtle earthy and salty undertones. I ordered a double and was recommended it be complimented with Fever Tree Elderflower Tonic and a slice of cucumber. This combination really was stunning. All the flavours came together; the cucumber and tonic didn't overpower the gin but lifted it creating a blend of flavours that really was something else. http://www.damhile.co.uk/shop/seaweed
The day was coming to an end but I had time to enjoy my gin and tonic whilst watching the fireworks.
Just as we were about the leave for the day, I was drawn in by some seriously good looking pizza from the Dusty Knuckle Pizza Company and I was lucky enough to get the last dough they had and finished the day with a plum and blue cheese pizza. The flavours were so intense and rich, I loved the sweet plum with the salty, earthy blue cheese. I looked up Dusty Knuckle after the festival and found out that less than two years ago it was set up as a pop-up pizzeria doing the festival rounds. It's gained rave review and has recently opened up a permanent residence in Cardiff (I found article on Wales Online pretty good http://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/food-drink-news/first-look-inside-dusty-knuckle-11245032 and they also have a facebook page). I have to say huge respect to the girls on the stall who were so nice about me ordering a pizza at 10pm as they had been setting up since 6.30am.
So, feeling unbelievably full and happy, we headed back as it was well and truly bed time.
Da Mhile gin was like no other gin I have tasted before. Both gins on offer, the Botanical gin and Seaweed gin. Sampled both and they were incredible - so smooth and flavoursome. The Seaweed gin tipped it for me as it is so unusual. It is made using Celtic Seaweed and has beautifully subtle earthy and salty undertones. I ordered a double and was recommended it be complimented with Fever Tree Elderflower Tonic and a slice of cucumber. This combination really was stunning. All the flavours came together; the cucumber and tonic didn't overpower the gin but lifted it creating a blend of flavours that really was something else. http://www.damhile.co.uk/shop/seaweed
The day was coming to an end but I had time to enjoy my gin and tonic whilst watching the fireworks.
Just as we were about the leave for the day, I was drawn in by some seriously good looking pizza from the Dusty Knuckle Pizza Company and I was lucky enough to get the last dough they had and finished the day with a plum and blue cheese pizza. The flavours were so intense and rich, I loved the sweet plum with the salty, earthy blue cheese. I looked up Dusty Knuckle after the festival and found out that less than two years ago it was set up as a pop-up pizzeria doing the festival rounds. It's gained rave review and has recently opened up a permanent residence in Cardiff (I found article on Wales Online pretty good http://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/food-drink-news/first-look-inside-dusty-knuckle-11245032 and they also have a facebook page). I have to say huge respect to the girls on the stall who were so nice about me ordering a pizza at 10pm as they had been setting up since 6.30am.
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| Mouth-wateringly good pizza. |
On the Sunday morning I felt a bit achey (and still full from the Saturday's indulgence) so getting up and ready was hard work but the excitement returned as we set out for the castle, an area we had missed the day before. We headed out in good time and walked through the town looking out for stalls we had perhaps missed on the Saturday. On the way to the castle we passed the Holy Trinity Church that had a stall selling coffee. The coffee was delicious, and the story behind it fascinating. The Church has a link with Yirgacheffe, an area in Ethiopia infamous for coffee growing. The link aims to support community development in both Abergavenny and in Yirgacheffe through the partnership by forming links between churches, schools and communities. The link aims to enable understanding and the trade in coffee supports both community development, social and environments projects. Find out more here http://www.abergavenny-yirgacheffe-link.co.uk/#/home/4551272724.
Abergavenny Castle ruins is such a picturesque place and was great as the ruins created sections for the various stalls and bars. On the Saturday night, the Castle holds an outdoor live music evening which is ticketed, something I definitely want to do next year, so the stalls were mainly bar and street food style stalls. It was a bit early for Indian or falafel boxes, so we got another coffee and settled down on benches where the kids cookery workshops were being run. I was intrigued by a little red trailer selling poffertjes, a Dutch sweet similar-ish to a pancake, but, as I was about to find out, so much nicer. The owner and maker of the poffetjes, Rob, explained the batter is made using mainly buckwheat flour and risen with yeast. Though a thick batter, they're cooked at very high temperature creating a fluffy, soft texture. We had them served in the traditional way with just butter and a dusting of icing sugar.
Sadly, I couldn't stay long as I had to head back to Norfolk at lunch time so I met my mum with Beth and James before I needed to head back. While enjoying the sun, sights and smells coming from all around, I was so pleased to see Richard Burr and Candice each other next to us. I know it's a bit ridiculous to get excited about it, but I can't help it as anyone who loves Bake Off as much as I do would understand. So, if this wasn't great enough, Martha Collison from 2014 and Louise from this year turned up too!
Seeing four GBBO contestants before I left added a little extra treat to an already blissful weekend.
Until next year Abergavenny.
*All information provided on the blog was gained throughout the festival from conversations with stall holders and information displayed on stands. Any information not gained from my own experience, I have listed the website/articles/location of the information in this post.
Abergavenny Castle ruins is such a picturesque place and was great as the ruins created sections for the various stalls and bars. On the Saturday night, the Castle holds an outdoor live music evening which is ticketed, something I definitely want to do next year, so the stalls were mainly bar and street food style stalls. It was a bit early for Indian or falafel boxes, so we got another coffee and settled down on benches where the kids cookery workshops were being run. I was intrigued by a little red trailer selling poffertjes, a Dutch sweet similar-ish to a pancake, but, as I was about to find out, so much nicer. The owner and maker of the poffetjes, Rob, explained the batter is made using mainly buckwheat flour and risen with yeast. Though a thick batter, they're cooked at very high temperature creating a fluffy, soft texture. We had them served in the traditional way with just butter and a dusting of icing sugar.
Sadly, I couldn't stay long as I had to head back to Norfolk at lunch time so I met my mum with Beth and James before I needed to head back. While enjoying the sun, sights and smells coming from all around, I was so pleased to see Richard Burr and Candice each other next to us. I know it's a bit ridiculous to get excited about it, but I can't help it as anyone who loves Bake Off as much as I do would understand. So, if this wasn't great enough, Martha Collison from 2014 and Louise from this year turned up too!
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| I was glad mum brought her camera. |
Seeing four GBBO contestants before I left added a little extra treat to an already blissful weekend.
Until next year Abergavenny.
*All information provided on the blog was gained throughout the festival from conversations with stall holders and information displayed on stands. Any information not gained from my own experience, I have listed the website/articles/location of the information in this post.
