Abergavenny Food Festival

Wales' largest food festival gets underway this weekend with the Abergavenny Food Festival occuring in the market town. Full details are on their website and in their programme but here are my highlights

Beer & Cider


Blindgranny Farm
Craft ciders and Welsh champion perry from apples and pears grown in Wales.

The Celt Experience Ltd
Award winning organic ales from Caerphilly.

Gillow Cider
Cider from our own orchards in Herefordshire.

Gwatkin Cider Co Ltd
Real farmhouse cider and perry all made from pure fruit.

Gwynt Y Ddraig Cider
Award winning Welsh cider and perry made from freshly harvested fruit.

Kingstone Brewery
Award winning micro brewery producing 8 different bottle conditioned real ales.

Otley Brewing Company (Pontypridd)
Locally produced, award winning real ales; excellent quality and price.
Also running the 'Blorenge Bar' in the grounds of the Castle.

Ralph's Cider & Perry
Homegrown fruit, 100% juice fermented. One of Wales' oldest cidermakers....sorry Ralph, meant you have been making it for the longest time!

Ty Gwyn Cider
Ty Gwyn, award winning craft cider company from the Monnow Valley.

Wernddu Vineyard & Winery

Traditionally made Welsh wine, perry, cider and alpaca garments. Their 19-year old Chardonnay is stunning.

Wye Valley Brewery
Excellent quality cask and bottle conditioned beers from Herefordshire. HPA is one of my favourite beers in the world!

If the beer, cider and wine get too much for you then try
Septimus Spyder Drinks
Saxon and Druid soft drinks from our Medieval Brewhouse.

In addition to the festival stallholders, Raglan Cider Mill will once again be opening their bar in Market Street, in the yard of the former Market Tavern which closed in 1962!
A hog roast and seating will also be available in this old pub yard.

Can't get an exact view on Streetview but its near enough:
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Apart from the drink at the festival there are also a lot of other activities taking place, two of which are mentioned below:
Tastings:
Saturday 15th
Time: 2.00 – 2.45pm / Venue: Angel Hotel Ballroom / Tickets: £6.00
What to Look for in a Beer: Jeff Evans
An introduction to beer-tasting from the man who tastes beer for a living. Jeff Evans has edited the CAMRA Good Beer Guide, written seven editions of CAMRA’s Good Bottled Beer Guide, been named Beer Writer of the Year, and runs the online magazine insidebeer.com. Here he presents five of the best bottled beers

Sunday 16th
Time: 3.30 – 4.15pm / Venue: Lion’s Place / Tickets: £4.00
The Cider Odyssey: Pete Brown and Bill Bradshaw
From Pontypridd to Portland, Oregon author Pete Brown and photographer Bill Bradshaw are on a (com)mission to produce the first ever world guide to cider. It’s a tough job but they are the men to do it. Join them for a sneak preview of work in progress including anecdotes and pictures accompanied by a glass or two of the golden nectar.
If attending by train, I suggest getting an early one as they tend to get crowded from Cardiff onwards later in the day and have been known to not take on passengers at Newport.
Journey Planner:

Abergavenny Food Festival CAMRA Bar - beerlist

As mentioned last week, Gwent CAMRA are returning to Abergavenny Food Festival this weekend to run a bar in the rugby club.

 Above: Abergavenny Rugby Club

We will be having the first of Buster's new brews from the brand new Brecon Brewing Co as well as a rare cask of Triple S Milk Stout from Untapped Brewery. Looking forward to trying those as well as the Oxymoron from Otley Brewery, a Black IPA which has become my favourite beer of the year so far.

Beer and cider list below, all subject to availability/delivery/ etc:

Brecon Gold    4.20%  Golden Ale      Deep golden al brewed with Progress & Sovereign hops

Brecon Genesis            4.30%  Best Bitter       The first brew – a chestnut-coloured best bitter

Celt Experience           Dark    4.00%  Mild    A new brew for this year

Celt Experience           Native Storm   4.40%  Best Bitter       A robust mid-brown ale full of spicy and biscuit flavours

Celt Experience           Red Stag         3.60%  Bitter   An amber coloured ale with a floral aroma and fruity flavours

Celt Experience           Autumn Valley Flower            4.40%  Best Bitter       A light-brown beer, brewed with Boadicia and First Gold hops

Hereford         Light Ale         4.00%  Golden Ale      A crisp, light refreshing beer

Hereford         Celtic Gold     4.50%  Golden Ale      A crisp golden beer with a well-rounded malt/hop bitterness.

Hereford         Mutts Nuts      5.00%  Old Ale           A dark, strong ale, full bodied with a hint of chocolate in the aftertaste

Hereford   Gamekeepers   4.2% Bitter A rich chestnut-coloured ale with fruit notes and a hint of coffee
                        

Kingstone        Classic 4.50%              A well-balanced hoppy, dry ale.

Kingstone        Gold    3.80%  Golden Ale      A rich, golden-coloured hoppy ale.

Neath  Eazy Peazy      3.70%  Golden Ale      Very pale, easy, quaffable ale with inviting amarillo hop aroma

Neath  Witch Hunter  4.20%  Best Bitter       Ruby ale with fruity hop aroma and flavour and a smooth malt presence.

Neath  Platinum          5.50%  Lager   Extensively lagered before release, this rare cask lager has smooth grassy/earthy hop notes from the single variety NZ hallertauer variety. 

Otley   O1       4.00%  Golden Ale      A straw-coloured hoppy ale

Otley   Croeso 4.20%  Golden Ale      A light coloured ale bursting with hop aromas

Otley   O-Garden        5.00%  Speciality        O-Garden contains coriander, cloves and orange peel. This pale amber, cloudy wheat beer has a rich aroma of coriander with a slight aroma of citrus. The coriander flavour continues into the taste and is a matched by a sharp bitterness caused by the hops used to brew this award-winning beer. This results in a pleasant dryness in the mouth and the aftertaste is of hops and coriander.

Otley   Oxymoron       5.50%  Black IPA      Dehusked chocolate malt from Germany is used to brew this beer - the de-husking takes away the sometimes too harsh bitterness normally associated when using chocolate malt. A rich dark chocolate melting in your mouth flavour with a lasting aftertaste: rich chocolate and hop flavours linger pleasantly on the palette for a good few moments afterwards. A truly stunning beer rand a dangerously drinkable dark ale.

Rhymney Hobby Horse   3.80%  Bitter   Hobby Horse is a mid to light-brown coloured beer and has a slight biscuity aroma due to the Marris Otter malt used. Other malts used are Crystal and Caramalt. Hops are also present in the nose with Styrian and Fuggles varities providing the bitterness as well. Hobby Horse has a bitter-sweet taste followed by the distinctive biscuit flavour of the malt and some lasting bitterness and astringency in the aftertaste. A lot of flavour for a low-strength beer.

Rhymney  Dark    4.00%  Mild    A dark coloured beer with a deep reddish hue and pours with a beige head. A complex aroma of sweet and roast malts and blackberries leads to a bittersweet chocolate flavour and a slightly astringent finish with some vanilla overtones. A good mild beer, not too strong and easy to drink. Champion Beer of Wales 2011

Rhymney  Kings   4.70%  Best Bitter       Mid-Brown beer with a rich flavour

Rhymney  Export 5.00%  Strong Ale       Mid-brown in colour with a fruity, malty nose with subtle hop aromas from the cascade hops used. The beer is made from a blend of  six different types of malt, including Pearl Optic Barley, Crystal and Chocolate which contribute to the colour and fruity flavour of this beer.

Tomos Watkin Cwrw Haf       4.20%  Golden Ale      The taste is of rich fruit with some sultana notes followed by a bittersweet taste, which leads to a  smooth, warming aftertaste, with the cascade and target hops adding to final bitterness. At 5%, Rhymney Export is hardly a session beer but it is a good strong, multi-award winning beer packed with plenty of  flavour.

Tomos Watkin Premier            4.30%  Bitter   A new brew to celebrate Swansea City's football success

Tomos Watkin OSB    4.50%  Best Bitter       A rich red premium cask ale with a fruity aroma and distinctive bitter flavour.

Untapped  Triple S            4.90%  Milk Stout       Triple S or Simply Superb Stout is a beer with an intense black colour and pours with a rich, off-white foamy head. This beer is brewed with lactose, beers containing this were called Milk Stouts until 1946 when the name was banned by the Government. Triple S has rich aroma of roast malt and caramelised sugars together with a subtle hop aroma. The flavour is quite sweet, the lactose does not ferment out and provides some sweetness to this beer. There is some dryness in the finish, together with very slight astringency. 

Wye Valley   HPA    4.00%  Golden Ale      One of the greatest beers in the world. A pale ale with a citrus hop aroma, just the right amount of bitterness and a dry finish.

Wye Valley  Butty Bach      4.50%  Best Bitter       A copper-yellow, malty and fruity ale.

Wye Valley  Golden            4.20%  Golden Ale      A golden-yellow ale with citurs aromas and an aromatic flavour

                                               

Gwatkin          4.5% Silly Ewe                     Dry     

Gwatkin         4.5% Squeal Pig                   Medium Perry

Gwatkin        4.5%  No Bull                       Medium          

Gwatkin         4.5%  Game Cock                 Sweet 

Gwynt Black Dragon                         

Gwynt Malvern Hills Perry                            

Gwynt Two Trees Perry                                 

Gwynt Fiery Fox                                

Gwynt         one other, not known at moment                     

 

Abergavenny Food Festival Beer & Cider Bar

Friday 16th September 1700-2300

Saturday 17th & Sunday 18th September 1100-2300

The Clubhouse

Bailey Park

Abergavenny

NP7 5SG

Free entry to the Rugby Club and Beer Festival!

    

CAMRA return to Abergavenny Food Festival!

After a break of a few years, Gwent CAMRA will be returning to the Abergavenny Food Festival next week with a real ale and cider bar in the rugby club in Bailey Park, a short stroll from the main activities in the Market Hall and Brewery Yard.

 

Above:Abergavenny RFC Clubhouse

This will be the fourth venue Gwent CAMRA have run a beer festival during Abergavenny Food Festival - the Castle, the King's Arms and the back of the Market Hall have all been used in previous years so this will be our first venture with Abergavenny RFC and hopefully we have now found a permanent home for the beerex!

The Abergavenny Food Festival Beer & Cider Bar will be featuring a range of beers and ciders from local breweries such as Otley, Kingstone, Hereford, Wye Valley and Neath; a full list will be posted when all the beers are confirmed. Ciders and perries will be from Gwynt Y Ddraig and Gwatkin. In total we hope to have around 30 different real ales and 8 different ciders and perries.

Abergavenny Food Festival Beer & Cider Bar

Friday 16th September 1700-2300

Saturday 17th & Sunday 18th September 1100-2300

The Clubhouse

Bailey Park

Abergavenny

NP7 5SG

Google Map:

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Abergavenny Food Festival 2009

It's the Abergavenny Food Festival this weekend and below are some of the producers appearing at the festival:

Gregg's Pit Cider & Perry

Gwatkin Cider - a good place to find Brew Wales at most festivals

Gwynt Y Ddraig Cider- the second most likely place to find Brew Wales at a festival

Kingstone Brewery

Penlon Cottage Brewery - their Chocolate Stout is highly recommended

Ralph's Cider

Rhymney Brewery

Three Saints Perry & Cider

Ty Gwyn Cider

Wernddu Vineyard and Winery- their 14 old chardonnay is very good!

Wye Valley Brewery

Full list of all the producers here

No CAMRA beer festival this year at the event but Abergavenny is home to a local brewery and their beers will be on at the King's Arms.

Abergavenny Food Festival - Beer & Cider List

The provisional Beer list for the CAMRA bar at the Abergavenny Beer Festival is as follows:
BRECONSHIRE BREWERY (BRECON)
County (ABV 3.7%) A pale amber beer, well hopped, best described as a traditional south-eastern bitter. Three hops provide a refreshing more-ish beer, with a distinct hoppy bitterness.
Golden Valley (ABV 4.2%) A deep, golden coloured beer using only UK grown malt and hops with a gentle but pervasive bitterness, making it a very drinkable and thirst quenching beer.
Ramblers Ruin (ABV 5%) Dark amber, malty and well hopped with a beautifully balanced aftertaste; a traditional Old Ale. Crystal and Black Malt create the malt/biscuit undertones; bitterness and aroma are provided by Goldings and First Gold amongst others.

CWMBRAN BREWERY (UPPER CWMBRAN)
Blackcurrant Stout (ABV 4%) Rich dark stout with a hint of blackberry
Pink Panther (ABV 4.8%) Aromatic refreshing bitter with soft raspberry and hop notes.

CELT EXPERIENCE (CAERPHILLY)
Bronze (ABV 4.5%)An organic ale with a rich bronze colour and a full bodied character. A delicate sweetness develops into a long hop finish through the traditional blend of hops.
Golden (ABV 4.2%) A golden organic ale, with a rich full-bodied texture accompanied by a unique blend of traditional and fruity hops, with a taste of citrus fruits and a slightly spicy aroma.

KINGSTONE BREWERY (TINTERN)
Three Castles (ABV 3.8%) An excellent quenching bitter named after the Three Castles Walk of north Monmouthshire.
Kinson’s Gold (ABV4%) Aptly named ale, very drinkable and bursting with a hoppy fruity flavour.
Classic (ABV 4.5%) A tasty finely crafted best bitter with a good mouth feel.

OTLEY BREWING CO LTD (CILFYNYDD)
O1 (ABV 4%) A pale golden beer with a hoppy aroma that has quickly established an excellent reputation. Champion Beer Britain, Golden Ale Category 2008
O-Garden (ABV 4.8%) A tongue in cheek take on a wheat beer, flavoured with roast orange peel, coriander and cloves. Champion Beer of Britain, Speciality Category 2008
OBB (ABV 4.5%) Tawny red coloured ale. A gentle blend of pale, wheat and crystal malts bittered with Centennial and Mount Hood hops

RHYMNEY BREWERY (DOWLAIS)
Dark (ABV 4%) Delicious full flavoured mild ale developing a good following in the region. Champion Beer of Wales 2007/8. Champion Beer of Britain, Bronze award-winner, Mild Category 2008
Bitter (ABV 4.5%) Brewed using the best quality barley and hops to give a slightly fruity taste Full bodied and well balanced,
Bevans Bitter (ABV4.2%) A complex beer using 4 types of Warminster malt with the bitterness of Target hops and the slightly citrus Northdown variety, to give a bold, refreshing bitter .

SPINNING DOG BREWERY (HEREFORD)
Hereford Organic Bitter (ABV 3.7%) Pale flavoursome, totally organic brew, using German Spalt hops to give a dry smooth aftertaste.
Celtic Gold (ABV 4.5%) Golden yellow beer with a biscuit malt, slightly sweet, tangy orangy flavour followed by a dry aftertaste.
Mutts Nuts (ABV 5%) A dark strong ale named in honour of the brewer’s sadly deceased dog,, full bodied with a hint of chocolate aftertaste.

TUDOR BREWERY (ABERGAVENNY)
Blorenge (ABV 3.8%) Refreshing golden summer ale with slight citrus notes from Fuggles hops
Skirrid (ABV 4.2%) Hoppy darkish ale using Goldings hops to give delicate hoppy aftertaste

WYE VALLEY BREWERY (STOKE LACY)
Dorothy Goodbody’s Golden Ale (ABV4.2%) A light gold coloured ale with good hop character throughout.
HPA (ABV4%) Pale, hoppy, malty brew with a hint of sweetness before a dry finish.
Prince’s Pride (ABV4.0%) Brewed with a combination of cara and pale malts and hopped with Fuggles. A golden ale with a hint of toffee and a late hop finish

All our real ales have been sourced from within a 30 mile radius of Abergavenny.

What is CAMRA LocAle?

CAMRA LocAle is a new initiative that promotes pubs stocking locally brewed real ale. The scheme builds on a growing consumer demand for quality local produce and an increased awareness of 'green' issues.
Everyone benefits from local pubs stocking locally-brewed real ale…

-Public houses as stocking local real ales can increase pub visits
-Consumers who enjoy greater beer choice and diversity
-Local brewers who gain from increased sales
-The local economy because more money is spent and retained locally
-The environment due to fewer ‘beer miles' resulting in less road congestion and pollution
-Tourism due to an increased sense of local identity and pride - let's celebrate what makes our locality different
If the Campaign for Real Ale can source 24 real ales from within 30 miles of Abergavenny then let's see what the pubs can do.
For more information on Locale visit the CAMRA website

Souvenir festival glass available
Open Saturday and Sunday 20th & 21st September 1000-1700hrs
Admission (to the whole festival) Adult Sat £5.50
Sun £4.50
Weekend £9.00
More information on the Abergavenny Food Festival website
or from the Gwent CAMRA Facebook site
The Gwent CAMRA bar will be in the rear market car park, the former site of Faceys brewery.


The ciders and perries on the CAMRA bar will be supplied by award-winning local producer Gwynt Y Ddraig

LocAle at Abergavenny Food Festival

The Gwent branch of CAMRA will be launching their LocAle promotion during Wales’ largest food fayre – the Abergavenny Food Festival, Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 September. Having run a fringe event at the Kings Arms brewpub last year, Gwent CAMRA have been welcomed back into the Food Festival, all be it at a different venue from 2 years ago when the real ale and cider bar was in the castle grounds. This year the CAMRA real ale and cider bar will be on the site of the former Facey’s Brewery, to the rear of the market hall in the Lower Brewery Yard.
According to James “Arfur” Daley, bar manager, “It’s great to be back in the Food Festival after a year off. It’s one of the biggest food events in the country and Gwent CAMRA have decided to showcase the best of our breweries by having real ales and ciders from within 30 miles of Abergavenny. That includes current Champion Beer of Wales winner Otley Brewery as well as Breconshire Brewery, Tudor Brewery from Abergavenny and Kingstone Brewery of Tintern. Ciders and perries will be supplied by Gwynt Y Ddraig”.
The Abergavenny Food Festival attracts more than 30,000 visitors annually and was described in the Observer Food Monthly as 'The Glastonbury of Food Festivals'.

More information:
Gwent CAMRA
Abergavenny Food Festival