Food Festivals, Farmers' Markets and Farm Shops in Wales

These events provide an opportunity for producers to sell directly to the public. Shopping at festivals, markets and farm shops can be an environmentally sustainable way of buying food that is good for producers, good for shoppers and good for the environment. Popular with farmers selling less intensively produced food, these outlets can help to reduce food miles and carbon footprints. Produce that doesn’t have to be ferried for great distances reaches the stall fresher and more nutritionally rich than food that has been stored for longer.

Also contributing to the local economy and community life, food festivals, farmers markets and farm shops usually have a great atmosphere and great tastes on offer. To find one in your local area, take a look at these sites:

• The Directory of Food and Drink From the People of Wales (click on the link on the right) lists food festivals, farmers’ markets and farm shops across Wales.
• The Farmers’ Markets in Wales web site (external link) also has listings,
• as does Fork2Fork (external link).
  

Food Festivals in Wales

For an exuberant celebration of food and drink, look no further than one of the many food festivals which now take place almost every weekend somewhere in Wales.

The experience of a Welsh food festival is one not to be missed – our food festivals are outpourings of flavours, colours and smells. You will find a myriad of different stalls and activities, but the star attraction is the produce. Fresh from the farm or kitchen, often handmade or artisan crafted, you’ll have the chance to taste and buy some of the best food and drink Wales has to offer.

One of the best known is the Abergavenny Food Festival, which takes place every September, and one of the largest, the Cardiff International Food & Drink Festival, attracts food producers and suppliers from the city’s twin towns of Nantes, Stuttgart and Hordland alongside those from our own shores. There are a host of smaller local festivals too, and specialist festivals like Pembrokeshire Fish Week and the Cardigan Bay Seafood Festival.

The Welsh Assembly Government recognises the role that such festivals have to play in contributing to local economies, enabling local purchasing and reducing food miles, and playing their part in the social life of local communities.

Farm Shops in Wales

Worth visiting throughout the year, our farm shops present the best of our local and seasonal produce. Often selling straight from the field, farm shops bring you the opportunity to purchase food directly from the farmers of Wales, involving food metres not miles. With a passion for high quality food, our growers and producers are proud to provide the personal touch, supervising their wares from shed to shopping bag to maintain freshness and flavour.

The Hawarden Estate Farm Shop, opened in 2008, quickly established a reputation as a gourmet heaven and promptly won the award for True Taste Retailer of the Year - two years running. Other farm shops with awards include the Cwmcerrig Farm Shop and Grill in Gorslas, Carmarthenshire, and Llwynhelyg Farm Shop in Sarnau, Ceredigion.

Farmers’ Markets

Farmers' markets could rightly be described as the phenomenon of the last 10 years. As recently as 1997, there were none in the UK – now they are everywhere.

From Abergavenny to Welshpool, from the hearts of Cardiff and Swansea to the centre of Wrexham, farmers’ markets across the length and breadth of Wales bring shoppers and producers together. They’ve become a major part of the community for many places, strengthening the quality of life in both small villages and Welsh towns and cities. Food lovers are attracted to the markets’ fresh, seasonal produce, usually at competitive prices, whilst for farmers and food producers, the market makes it easy to engage with their customers.

To find out more, browse the Wales the True Taste website (external link).