Consuming passions

at Food lovers event

Narberth 2009 bucks economic trend with record attendanceNarberth 2009 bucks economic trend with record attendanceNarberth 2009 bucks economic trend with record attendanceNarberth 2009 bucks economic trend with record attendance

Words & pictures: Sarah Hoss 2009

Words & pictures: Sarah Hoss 2009

Words & pictures: Sarah Hoss 2009

Words & pictures: Sarah Hoss 2009

‘Over all a superb festival!’ – Wood Cottage Berry Farm

Food event success bucks economic trends Record numbers and takings up for county

Local businesses reported an increase in turnover of up to 40 per cent at the weekend

as thousands of food-lovers descended on Narberth to attend the Food Festival. While

the organisers reported an increase of 50 per cent on gate takings and attendance up

from last year, yet another growth for the event, Narberth also benefited from the

surge in visitors who came to the town.

David Parkin, owner of two Narberth businesses – D&D Computer Services and Nar-

berth Supplies said:

‘Trade in conjunction with the food festival increased in my shops by 40 per cent at least on

the Saturday of the festival – as well as regulars we saw many new customers through the

door – many sporting the food festival stamp on their hands. The town was buzzing - the

food festival brought a lot of people who went round town as well as visiting the food festi-

val.’

Peter Preece, the treasurer of the Food Festival said; ‘Our gate takings were up to the

highest in our eleven year history – up about 50 per cent on last year, and we had at least

3,000 paying attendees – not counting the many hundreds of children who came in free’.

Over 40 stallholders came to Narberth to showcase their produce, many staying in local ho-

tels and bed and breakfast establishments. Several ran out of stock on the first day, selling

out what they had anticipated would last all weekend. Many worked overnight to produce

more food for the Sunday, which also saw a healthy attendance, up again on previous years.

Sikhy Sandhu, managing director of Sim’s Foods Ltd, which sold Samosas and other

Asian delicacies at the festival said: ‘we had an excellent response at the Narberth Food Fes-

tival and sold out on Saturday. We managed to transport more stock overnight and had an-

other successful day on Sunday’.

James Ross, General Manager of Pembrokeshire Produce Direct said:

‘It was a total pleasure to be there – it was lovely – it was also far and away the most suc-

cessful thing we’ve done so far – gaining direct orders straight away from people we had

spoken to at the show’.

Sarah Hoss, the marketing and press officer for the festival said:

‘We have seen yet another growth in the success of this event, which is bucking the current

economic trend and demonstrates that Pembrokeshire is an attractive destination for food

tourists and local visitors alike. The Food Festival is known as Wales’ friendliest, something

we are very proud of. Our reputation for hospitality and the quality of local produce that we

have on offer in the county has generated a demand which events like the Food Festival is

catering for and bringing people in who are spending money in our county.’

As well as the main event on the town moor, the festival team also put on a special food edu-

cation day for local primary school children; a secondary schools cookery competition

hosted by Pembrokeshire College and a post-festival dinner cooked by the festival’s visiting

and local chefs held at Narberth’s Carreg Restaurant which saw nearly 50 diners enjoy a su-

perb meal on Sunday night.

Media interestMedia interestMedia interestMedia interest Sunday Observer Western Telegraph Carmarthen Journal Pembrokeshire Life Welsh Country Life Narberth & District Observer Cambrian magazine BBC online Radio Pembrokeshire The Food Festival has a strong online brand with its own website, listings on many other sites and a strong campaign on the social networking site FacebookFacebookFacebookFacebook. www.narberth.com www.mypembrokeshire.com www.narberthfoodfestival.com

Food and fun at

Education Day

Youngsters reveal a great hunger for food knowledge Youngsters reveal a great hunger for food knowledge Youngsters reveal a great hunger for food knowledge Youngsters reveal a great hunger for food knowledge

Nearly 100 primary school children attended the Narberth Food Festival Education

Day, which provides a forum for food producers and those interested in food and

health to work with local children and share ideas.

This year in addition to the ‘taste not waste’ theme of the festival, which underpinned the

festival, there was also a strong health education opportunity in response to recent concerns

over hygiene, such as the outbreak of e. coli in petting farms.

Such activities are very popular in rural Wales and important to the rural economy. Many

local children also live on farms and have close contact with animals. Children were also

challenged to calculate food miles and understand the impact of intensive farming on carbon

emissions, in addition to the cookery and tasting sessions that included making sausages and

the Welsh vegetarian alternative the Glamorgan sausage; tasting exotic dishes cooked by stu-

dents from overseas and decorating baked potatoes. Sessions were held on correct hand

washing techniques run by a community nurse, while all participants also had the chance to

learn the basics of resuscitation and first aid.

Secondary schools were also involved in the Food Festival by entering a special Food Festi-

val Cookery Competition, run by the local college. The festival team has worked in partner-

ship with Pembrokeshire College on many fronts including working with catering students

(who get the chance to work with the celebrity chefs over the weekend) as well as the inter-

national students and groups studying Welsh Baccalaureate.

This year the college ran a successful secondary schools competition designed to encourage

youngsters who are considering a career in catering. The winning team had the chance to do

a cookery demonstration in the talks tent during the main festival.

Ludlow, Narberth’s twin town, also had a strong presence in the festival again this year, pro-

viding a wonderful opportunity for their Young Chef winner to cook with Michelin-starred

Abergavenny-based chef Stephen Terry as well as performing during the festival. Narberth

attracted visitors from Ludlow both to the festival and the post-festival dinner.

A strong educational theme ran through all the activities put on by the festival, perhaps the

most senses-stimulating being the installation performance by Plunge Boom who ran a sur-

real nursery which they planted on the tarmac of the former Narberth school playground,

which they turfed for the festival. Youngsters were invited to bottle feed the vegetables.

Never was the message ‘love your greens’ so superbly fostered than by this clever concept

that had children nursing and cuddling vegetables while singing lullabies. Inspired.