Abergavenny played host to some of Britain’s brightest culinary talent and food heroes this weekend at the 19th Abergavenny Food Festival.

Visitors to the town celebrated alongside the local community as some of the most innovative and exciting food and farming thinkers featured in a packed thought provoking and inspiring programme of masterclasses, demos, debates, talks and feasts.

From market stalls featuring delicious produce to famous faces such as Tom Kerridge and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, the strong festival line up was enjoyed by the crowds amassed to celebrate what festival chief executive Aine Morris has called an “incredibly exciting time for the growth of the UK food movement.”

“This year’s line-up is a true reflection of the passion and commitment of those involved in bringing good food to our tables. There is a veritable food revolution going on, which we are seeing through the explosion of interest in food and food activities. The number of speakers we’ve had here over the weekend who are entirely focused on where our food comes from and what impact it has on our environment has been completely inspiring," she said.

Food festivals such as Abergavenny encourage people to try new things in a fun environment, bring people together, and help to develop food culture long after the festival has packed up and gone home. We hope that by putting real food at the heart of our programme we sowed seeds, provoked thoughts, inspired and delighted those that tried, tasted, saw and heard new and delicious things here in Abergavenny.”

Highlights from this year’s programme included:

The Community Feast cooked by The Angel Bakery in Abergavenny for over 250 of the local community

Pop-up feasts by the innovative chefs behind Edinburgh Food Studio and Olia Hercules

Tom Kerridge’s two appearances at the festival – in conversation with food writer Tim Hayward at the Borough Theatre and a cookery demo on the Market Hall stage

The Great Debate at The Farmyard on our post-Brexit food future with plenty of questions for the panel from the large crowd

Cooking over fire demonstrations at the Castle

The Kids’ Cookery school in our bespoke, gingham bedecked tents in the Castle grounds

Rude Health Rants on everything from the ‘pinkification of women’s drinks’ to ‘should this be the end of plastic straws?’

New festival area Linda Vista Gardens, welcomed sponsors Chase Distillery with their horsebox bar, Riverford Organic Farmers with their vegetable masterclasses and Belazu, who served up incredible dining experiences from some of the country’s best chefs.

Aine Morris added, “We would like to extend a huge thank you to all our visitors, stallholders, speakers, sponsors and supporters at this year’s festival. We’re incredibly excited about the Christmas Fair in the town on the 10th December this year and we are already looking towards the 20th edition of the festival in 2018. It promises to be even more special than this year.”