Welsh Rarebit Rules!

Hardly a big surprise here but a survey out from Cathedral City Cheese reveals that the Welsh, or at least those from Cardiff, prefer their cheese toasted as opposed to other areas of the UK how have their own favourite way of cooking and eating cheese:
· If you’re from Manchester, you’re more likely to enjoy a cheesy bake.

· Londoners prefer a cheese board.

· Those from Birmingham are fans of cheesy chips.

· The population of Cardiff are partial to cheese on toast.

· People from Belfast can’t get enough of cheesy mash.

· Norwich love cheesy fish cakes.

· Cheddar on crackers is the first choice for those from Newcastle

· Bristol opt for the Ploughman’s Lunch.

· Cheddar on top of Shepherd’s Pie warms the hearts of Scots

Welsh Rarebit is, of course the national dish of Wales and here is a slightly altered reciped from the late great Keith Floyd:
Welsh Rarebit
8oz mature cheese such as Cathedral City
1oz Butter
4 tablespoons beer such as Breconshire Golden Valley, drink the rest!
Salt, Anglesey Sea Salt of course
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp dry mustard
4 slices of hot buttered toast

Put the cheese, butter and beer in a small pan and melt gently over alow heat, stirring in one direction only. Add salt and pepper to taste and the mustard and mix well. Spoon over the toast and brown under a preheated hot grill, Serve Immediately.

Taste Psychologist, Greg Tucker, an academic who analyses the emotions and responses that are triggered when we eat, explains in a new report that the reason cheese trumps chocolate is that cheese triggers the same reward emotions but because of its make-up and the way it breaks down in the mouth, cheese avoids triggering calorie and fat driven guilt emotions.

Greg explains; “After studying over 10,000 UK respondents, what we found was that when eating Cheddar people still felt the same enjoyment as they did when eating chocolate. They gained a feeling of reward and pleasure from the creamy, dairy, full flavour. However, the advantage cheese has, is that people felt that they had eaten real, quality food, and did not report back feelings of excess and guilt.”

First perry making of the year

First perry making trip of the season and the Blakeney Red tree looked good as usual. An old farm in Monmouthshire where the owners allow us to collect the fruit. Not saying the exact location but it is in the Devonian Old Red Sandstone series, an excellent strata for perry and cider trees which stretches from Newport to Herefordshire. The thick, heavy iron-rich soil is excellent for growing cider apples and perry trees and even stretches as far as Denis Gwatkin's farm in Abbey Dore.

 

The red blush on the Blakeney Red's can clearly be seen in the photo above. 

Second tree of the day was the Tainton Squash, a tree well over 100ft tall - the panking poles were called for this one.
Last year we at Llanblethian Orchards fermented the fruit of the Hendre Huffcap pear together with that from the Potato Pear - pictured below - and won a Gold Medal for the best dry perry at the Welsh Perry and Cider Competition at the Clytha Arms.

Above: the Potato Pear

Last pear to be picked was the Hendre Huffcap - a good bounty of fruit on the tree again this year.

Below the Hendre Huffcap tree:

A quick visit to orchard in Llanblethian was made to see the orchard planted a few years ago before off to mill and press the fruit.

A couple of shots of Alex with his home made press tipping the last of the pressings out:

Above: The juice from the pears

Above: Checking the specific gravity

All in all a good start to the season.

A Caerphilly Meander

How to improve a pub

On a recent visit to Caerphilly I visited a couple of pubs as had some time to kill between buses home. Caerphilly really is crying out for a decent pub in the centre. Close to the bus station is the delightfully named Irish Tymes which appears to be the largest pub in the town and was once known as the Railway Inn when owned by Rhymney/Whitbread Breweries. Keg only so did not bother going in.

Further downhill is the M&B pub, the Kings Arms. Not too bad with Everards Sunchaser as a guest beer alongside up to 2 other real ales. Bright, clean, well-lit and popular with plenty of attentive bar staff, the Kings Arms offers the most consistent pint in the town. Not too many people drinking the real ales but quality not too bad.

Further down the hill again is the Court House, once a regular in the Good Beer Guide and even made it's own cheese some years ago. This should be the jewel in the crown of Caerphilly pubs, said to date back to 1320 with fantastic views of the castle to the rear, old stone walls and fireplaces this has everything you would want to see in a pub. Unfortunately it is let down by the management and staff. I should have been put off by the multitude of stickers in the front window telling me how many different CCTV cameras there are – always a nice way to welcome customers into your pub. The other windows were dirty and the remains of other window stickers were stuck on the panes. Only one handpump, serving Greene King Abbot – I only went for a half and it was an average half of an average beer. Walking towards the rear of the pub to look at the floodlit castle I was going to sit here but the tables were unlit – it may be saving a dolphin somewhere in the world but a dark and dingy pub does nothing to attract customers so I settled for a table in the front bar. A cheap speaker blurted out some piped music – if you are going to play music and pay the license for it then at least have a decent speaker system – the cheapest ones from Argos may be okay for a student bedsit but not suitable for a pub. Bizarrely in another corner Eastenders was blasting out from a wall-mounted television. Not that the half a dozen or so customers were interested in the music or television. The amount of laissez-faire shown by the customers was only matched by that shown by the barmaid who was busy chatting on the telephone when 3 customers walked in, went out the back and walked out again without so much as a acknowledgement from her. That's 3 customers lost who will no doubt tell others about the warm welcome they received in this pub. Sat at a table in the front bar I mistakenly put my arm down on the table, only for it to stick to the table, yes you have guessed it, this table had not been cleaned! Not the type of place to order food if their front of house cleanliness is not up to much. The table had also been vandalised by some chav who had seemed to think it was necessary to carve her name into the table top.

How to improve the Court House, Caerphilly (free advice):

1. Replace the present management/bar staff
2. Train bar staff in customer service and how to greet customers
3. Clean the windows of the pub
4. Clean the tables of the pub
5. Change the lightbulbs so they do not make the pub dark and dingy
6. Turn off the piped music or invest in better speakers
7. Turn off the television – who goes to pubs to watch Eastenders FFS?

Pubs are in a bad enough state already with falling customers numbers and if landlords are not prepared to do the simplest measures to encourage customers to go into their pubs then what hope is there for pubs like this? There is a rumour that Wetherspoons will be moving into the old Post Office building in Caerphilly, now that will no doubt cause around 4 Caerphilly pubs to close as this is what happens elsewhere in South Wales when a superpub opens. Should also give the other pub landlords a well-deserved kick up the arse to clean their pubs.

All in all the visit to Caerphilly was not entirely wasted, as on the way home I alighted from the bus in Machen and paid a visit to the White Hart for a superb couple of pints of Wye Valley HPA. The White Hart is a truly outstanding pub, decorated with wood panelling and other features from the liner the Empress of France which was scrapped in nearby Newport. Always an enjoyable pint to have here with friendly bar staff and chatty customers. A certain pub in nearby Caerphilly could do a lot to learn from the White Hart.

Newport Landlord cleans pub for Ryder Cup

Above: A typical Newport pub, not connected with this article in any way.

A Newport publican has offered to clean his pub in the hope that American tourists might wish to frequent his failing pub.

“Since the smoking ban came in I have lost dozens of customers as they can actually now smell the stale beer soaked into the carpet and the leaking toilets. I've been putting off cleaning the pub because as everyone knows I'm a lazy bastard who is drunk most of the time. When I took over this pub it had a great lunchtime trade but nowadays I open the pub around 2pm as that is when I get up from my vomit-encrusted bed. Anyway I've splashed out on some Shake 'n' Vac for the carpet and Poundland had a good deal on bleach so I've stuck a load in the bogs so they don't smell like a medieval cesspit when the plague hits town any longer. I've even told my psychotic barman to lay off the lager during the day and try and to smile and not to attack customers. We've even dug out a picture of the only Welsh American President, Jefferson Davis and proudly displayed it on the bar to welcome all our friends from across the Atlantic".

Black Cock Beer Festival this Weekend

Black Cock Inn, Waunwaelod Way, Caerphilly, CF83 1BD
Beerex this weekend Friday 8th October 6-midnight, 12-12 Sat & Sun 9th & 10th

Situated on the wooded mountain road between Caerphilly and Cardiff, the Black Cock is half-timbered in the pre-war Brewers' Tudor style but this façade hides an older building as photos within the pub show. The Black Cock features a large car park and outside drinking area as well as a choice of dining and drinking rooms inside. The lounge on the right-hand side of the building features a stone-built wood-burning fireplace and wooden floorboards, conversation dominates in this small room which is extremely popular with both customers and their dogs. Thankfully this pub has not been knocked into one large space and still retains separate rooms, popular with customers who prove they like it by their attendance. An odd collection of tables, chairs and settles add to the interest in this room, together with the half- panelled wooden walls which may date back to the rebuilding of this pub in the 1930s. Old photos of Caerphilly, aerial photographs of the pub and rugby memorabilia adorn the walls of the lounge. Pewter tankards hang from wooden beams on the ceiling and the bar is built out of wood with an unusual feature being the rough-sawn planks which make up the top of the bar. A good range of real ales are available including Hancocks HB and Wye Valley Butty Bach as the regular beers with guest beers from brewers such as Vale of Glamorgan and Cottage adding to the range. The Black Cock also hosts a regular annual beer festival, held over this weekend this year, featuring 30 beers from across Britain. Draught cider is also available from the the International Cidermaker of the Year, Gwynt Y Ddraig, with one of their ciders behind the bar, recently the aptly named Dog Dancer has been making an appearance.

The lounge does have a projector and screen but this is only used for major sporting events, usually conversation is left to dominate the pub. A sign above the bar says, “Dogs welcome but children must be kept on a lead at all times!” A bit tongue in cheek but if you like dogs and good beer and food then this is the pub for you.

To the left of the bar is the extensive dining area and the Black Cock has a good reputation for food with curry nights on Tuesdays and steak nights on Wednesdays. In addition there is a separate seafood menu. The ingredients for the food are locally sourced wherever possible and booking for Sunday lunch is advisable. Food is served all day with the menus changing throughout the day.

Despite being in an isolated position, the Black Cock is extremely popular with regular customers and their dogs as well as with customers from further afield who are also made to feel welcome in this great pub.

Beer list:

Art Brew GHB 4.6%

Art Brew Monkey IPA 6.0%

Beartown Oktoberfest 5.0%

Beer Rocks Play On 4.2%

Box Steam Chuffin Ale 4%

Box Steam Piston Broke 5%

Bulmastiff Brewery tbc x2

Celt Experience Native Storm 4.4%

Cottage Brewery Lord Nelson

Cottage Brewery Normans Conquest 7%

Robinsons Battering Ram 4%

Goffs Cheltenham 4.7%

Heart of Wales Phoenix Gold 4.2%

Hook Norton Oxford Copper 4.8%

Hook norton Old Hooky 4.6%

Hydes Manchester Finest 4.5%

Jennings Crag Rat 4.3%

Lees Coronation Street 4.2%

Mayfields Leominster Ducking Stool 4.2%

Mayfields Leominster Hop Pickers Gold 4.0%

Newman's Last Lion of Britain 5%

Newman's Red Castle Cream 4.7%

Newman's Red Stag 3.6%

Newman's Wolvers' Ale 4.1%

Old Mill Fire & Brimstone 3.9%

Roosters Jasmine Pale Ale 5%

Roosters Yorkshire Roosters YPA 4.3%

Skinners Pennycomequick 4.5%

Slaters Top Totty 4%

Slaters Why Not 3.6%

Wharfebank Tether Blond 4.1%

Wickwar BOB 4%

Wickwar Rite Flanker 4.3%

Woodlands Nantwich Generals Tipple 5.5%

Woodlands Nantwich Super IPA 6.4%

Wye Valley HPA 4%

Wye Valley Wholesome Stout 4.6%

8 ciders will also be available.

Google Map:

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Journey Planner, the pub is a short walk from the main road:

Artisan Brewery Octoberfest

The Artisan Brewery Micro-Beer Festival is back this weekend in the Kings Road Arts Centre in Pontcanna, Cardiff. Housed in the courtyard of a nineteenth century brewery, these regular beer festivals are proving very popular.
Bands on the Saturday, quiet day on the Sunday.
183A Kings Rd Canton, CF119DF
 Music line up for the Saturday from 1400 hrs is:
The Method
Word Virus Essay
Inc.A
Bensh
Miss Maud's Folly
Zervas & Pepper
Robbie Price (Under The Driftwood Tree)

More Info on Artisan Facebook Page






 Google Map:

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Fagins Beer Festival features Trashy Blonde!

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The award-winning Fagins pub in Taffs Well, will be holding their annual beer festival this weekend with kick-off tonight (Thursday).
LIVE MUSIC THURSDAY NIGHT WITH R&B (RICHIE & BOB)
PIG ROAST FRIDAY AFTEROON - (approx 3pm-ish) together with a Koran burning.
LIVE MUSIC SATURDAY NIGHT WITH BANJAXED

Easily reached by bus from either Cardiff or Pontypridd, Fagins has had a deserved reputation for good food and real ale for many years. This roadside terraced inn offers a traditional pub environment with wooden beams on the ceiling and barrels as tables as well as a separate restaurant to the rear. The wooden beams feature bilingual graffiti which add to the convivial atmosphere of having a pint of real ale in this pub.

The beer range is the best for miles with real ales from across the UK regularly available alongside more local brews from award-winning breweries such as Otley and Vale of Glamorgan. Beers are either served via the traditional beer engine on the bar or straight from the barrel in the temperature-controlled stillage behind the bar. Fagins is one of the few pubs in South Wales to use this gravity-method of dispensing real ale. The constantly changing beer range is one of the reasons this pub is very popular and the beer list is updated to the pub website on a weekly basis. Recent guest beers have included Sarah Hughes dark Ruby Mild and Hobsons Town Crier, both unusual beers to find here in South Wales away from their West Midlands and Shropshire homelands.

 Two beer festivals are also held every year

Fagins also hosts live music every Thursday and occasional Fridays and Saturdays – the pub website gives full details of the bands booked to appear.

Both bar meals and restaurant meals are available, check out the chalkboard in the pub for what the daily specials are. Wherever possible the food is locally sourced Welsh produce and can include home-made steak & Kidney Pie with handmade chips or home-cooked ham or locally-made sausages. Food is served 12-2 and 6-9 every day apart from Mondays and Sunday nights.

Local cider is also available from Gwynt Y Ddraig, an award-winning cidermaker based just a few miles away in Llantwit Fardre. At the moment two ciders are available on draught from Gwynt, their Farmhouse Scrumpy and Hazy Daze.

Fagins Ale & Chop House has won awards over the years; the most recent was the Mid-Glamorgan Branch of CAMRA Pub of the Year 2008. The motto of Fagins is “Real Ale, Real Food, Real Fire, Real People” and who can argue with that for a great pub. This pub is well worth stopping in, either for a quick pint or two or for a meal.

The Beer List:

ART BREWERY - DORSET - GHB - 4.6%
ART BREWERT - DORSET - MONKEY IPA - 6.4%
BAYS - TORBAY - BREAKER - 4.7%
BAYS - DEVON DUMPLING - 5.1%
BRECON - YSBRID Y DDRAIG - 6.5%
BREW DOG - ABERDEEN - TRASHY BLONDE - 4.1%
BREW DOG - ABERDEEN - 5AM SAINT - 5%
BREW DOG - ABERDEEN - PUNK IPA - 6%
ELLAND - LEEDS - ELANT - 4.1%
ELLAND - LEEDS - NETTLETHRASHER - 4.4%
ELLAND - LEEDS - SPACE - 5.6%
KELHAM ISLAND - SHEFFIELD - 45RPM - 4.5%
KELHAM ISLAND - SHEFFIELD - PALE RIDER - 5.2%
KELHAM ISALND - SHEFFIELD - RIDERS ON THE STORM - 4.5%
MOOR BEER - JJJ IPA - 9%
O'HANLANS - STORM STAY - 5%
OAKHAM - PETERBROUGH - WHITE DWARF - 4.3%
OAKAHM - PETERBROUGH - AKHENATEN - 4.9%
RED SQUIRREL - HERTFORDSHIRE - COLORADO IPA - 5.4%
SARAH HUGHES - SURPRISE - 5%
SARAH HUGHES - DARK RUBY MILD - 6%
SALOPIAN - SHREWSBURY - LEMON DREAM - 4.6%
THORNBRIDGE - DERBYSHIRE - JAYWICK - 4.8%
THORNBRIDGE - COLORADO RED - 5.9%
TRIPLE FFF - HAMPSHIRE - MOONDANCE - 4.2%
TRIPLE FFF - HAMPSHIRE - STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN - 4.6% 

Fagins
8 Cardiff Rd,
Taffs Well,
CARDIFF,
South Glamorgan
CF15 7RE
Traveline Cymru: Bus Nos 26 & 132 stop nearby

Naked Guide to Cider - Book Review

Book Review: Naked Guide to Cider by James Russell

ISBN 9781906477325 RRP £9.95

There is a shortage of cider books on the market, it does appear to be a much-neglected section of the drinks industry. Luckily James Russell has decided to dip his writing finger into the pomace and come out with ''The Naked Guide to Cider''. A compact 240 page book, the NG2C has a forward by industry stalwart John Thatcher followed by various chapters on the definition and history of cider and perry; a useful glossary of terms; a look at various cider-making regions; making cider; history and culture with, of course a mention of the Wurzels. Black and white photos break up the text together with two colour photo sections, one featuring the UK's oldest cidermaker, Frank Naish. In fact the book is interspaced with interviews with the famous names of the cidermaking world - Julian Temperley, Roger Wilkins, Andrew Gronnow etc.

An enjoyable guide to the cider bars of Bristol of Bristol is given, the book does tend to have a bit of Bristol centric view of the world of cider as the author lives there but that is only a minor complaint.

Some interesting facts emerge from the author who is clearly in love with his subject – Blakeney Red pears being used to dye army uniforms khaki for instance. I can vouch for their staining properties as have never managed to removed the stain of pear juice from one of my shirts despite repeated washing!

The book briefly touches on some of the more complicated techniques of cidermaking and mentions keeving, although without explaining what it is – you have to read a section further on to find that out and there is no index at the back. Saying that another book I have takes three pages to explain it so it is perhaps not the book to go into depth with detailed descriptions. The NG2C does however touch on the different rootstocks available, quite often overlooked in other books.

A useful glossary towards the end of the book provides a timeline of cider throughout history with an interesting anecdote that ''St Guenole of Brittany chastises himself by living on a diet of water and perry in 500 AD'', proving that fad diets are not a modern creation.

There are a few mistakes in the book – a well-known Welsh cidermaker has his name reversed and 'Blackthorn' is mistakenly written as 'Blacktorn' but these are minor faults in what is a well-researched book that even manages to quote the anthropological book, Frazer's Golden Bough. The book is not without its amusing side as well with a paragraph on 'How to make your own cider house' and a page of 'Scariest Cider Cocktails'.

All in all a good read and a welcome addition to the bookshelf of any cider enthusiast.

Thanks to Denis Gwatkin for lending me his copy of this book to review!

Pairing off with a beer for the Ryder Cup

The Vale of Glamorgan Brewery in Barry has decided to celebrate the Ryder cup and, of course, the visit of Tiger Wood to the Celtic Manor in Ringland, Newport, with this tasteful pumpclip.
Described as having "a nutty malt flavour and long spicy hop finish", this 4.7% ale is limited to only 6000 draught pints and a small amount of bottled beer available here.
No doubt the femininazis will be up in arms about this pump clip design? No why not? They object to Hooters opening in Cardiff but not to this?
Wonder if Tiger will get the chance to down a pint between holes?
The beer is currently available in the Golden Hart pub on Cardiff Road, Newport.

Hay on Beer

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Hay on Wye will be home to a beer and literature festival this weekend as Kilverts plays host to a beer festival and beer writers. The full beer list can be found here (Google doc)

Organiser Ed Davies says, "I have arranged for some of the country’s best beer writers to come and talk about their work".

Hops and Glory author and beer writer of the year Pete Brown will describe his three month journey from Burton Trent to India in the company of a cask of IPA.

You get two pints for the price one when Adrian Tierney-Jones (1001 Beer You must Try Before you Die) and Tim Hampson (The Beer Book) debate which are best – ales from North Wales or the South.

Melissa Cole will take the “beard out of beer” and lead a tasting for the ladies and a beer and food matching. And if all of this is not enough, Zak Avery, author of 500 Beers, will describe some of his favourite brews.

From the Wye Valley Brewery Peter and Vernon Amor (brewers of Dorothy Goodbody’s Wholesome Stout) will be giving readings from the Dorothy Goodbody stories and Breconshire Brewery’s head brewer Buster Grant will talk about the future of beer in the Principality.

Should you tire of the beer, there will be talks and readings by several local authors and poets. And if you want something that goes with a bang the Sealed Knot’s Hay Garrison will be firing their muskets. More than 50 different Welsh ales will be available at the festival.

The festival is opened 5pm Friday 24th by Martin Weale, Chairman of the Brecknock branch of the Campaign for Real Ale, and full details can be found on the website.

Kilvert's Inn

Hay on Wye

Powys

HR3 5AG

Beer, Cheese, Cider, Cardiff!

From Brew Wales





The Great British Cheese Festival returns to cardiff Castle this weekend 


Dates: 
Saturday 25th & Sunday 26th September 2010
Cardiff Castle 10am – 5pm

Programme Available to download here 
 
A  selection of Masterclasses will be conducted throughout the weekend, including a cider and cheese tasting conducted by Bill George of Gwynt Y Ddraig Cider, ably assisted by the editor of this website talking about cheese and cider for the third year at this event. 
The Masterclass will cost £5.00 and will last approximately 55 minutes with one on the Saturday at 1100 and the Sunday at 1500
Admission costs £8.50 and the entrance is the main Cardiff castle entrance. 

Beer List, subject to delivery/availability etc: 

Heart of Wales WELSH BLACK
Otley O-GARDEN
Otley O1
Facers FLINTSHIRE BITTER
Purple Moose SNOWDONIA

Hook Norton OLD HOOKY
Oakham INFERNO
Great Orme CELTICA
Breconshire RAMBLERS RUIN
      CRIBYN
Rhymney DARK
  HOBBY HORSE
Celt Experience GOLDEN
Brains DARK
  SA
  REV JAMES
Bryncelyn OH BOY
    BUDDY MARVELLOUS
Springhead BEST BITTER

Castle Rock HARVEST PALE
Fyne Ale MAVERICK
Skinners BETTY STOGGS
St Austell PROPER JOB
Crouch Vale BREWERS GOLD
Marble MANCHESTER BITTER
RCH PG STEAM
ROOSTERS BANG TAIL

Ciders and perries from Gwatkin, Gwynt Y Ddraig and Llanblethian Orchards will also be available. 

Around 40 different ciders available!.

Green hop to Brecon

Justin "Buster" Grant, head brewer at Breconshire Brewery has brewed a special annual beer, made with hops picked on the same day as brewing the beer.
Usually hops will be dried and vacuum packed in order to preserve them but by using fresh hops some unique characteristics are passed on to the beer in the volatile compounds that can be lost through processing.
The hops were picked on the morning of the 9th of September at 11 am to be precise, at Little Lambswick Farm, near Tetbury Wells in Herefordshire and went into the boil at 3pm.

Green Dragon is described as a  4.6% golden ale, there is a gentle malty base of pale and wheat malts, with the just picked hops adding all of the remaining flavours.
An exceptionally fresh tasting beer with a gentle refreshing bitterness.

Green Dragon has now finished fermenting and has been released into the trade, look out for it in pubs across South Wales.

Bassett Pub Company expands with Ninian Park acquisition

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The JW Bassett Pub Company, who already run pubs from Penarth to Kilburn has announced another pub to add to their estate as they have bought the lease of the Ninian Park pub from brewers SA Brain. The JW Bassett company already runs the Queens Vaults in Cardiff and the Carpenter's Arms in Newport and according to pub company owner John Bassett, a keen Cardiff City supporter, "We are going to be capitalising on stadium events days. There will be a lot of memorabilia going in there and we’ve commissioned paintings of players for the walls, it will be transformed.”
The pub will have high-definition televisions installed for punters to watch pre-match football, while there will be a new menu as JW Bassett looks to attract custom outside of match days.
“We want to get the locals back in there. A lot of people are walking into town, or to Cowbridge Road instead. But we also want to continue to attract the Cardiff City element of the business. What I can say is that it will not be turned into flats, in three days it will be transformed.”
Although built around 1975, the Ninain Park pub replaced the Atlas Hotel which had been built in 1878.

H/T to Wales Online

Abergavenny Food Festival

Above: Abergavenny from the Blorenge

The biggest and the best food festival in Wales gets under way this weekend as thousands descend upon Abergavenny to taste the best ciders, perries and beers and of course other foods!

 Amongst the producers present will be:

Gregg's Pit Cider & Perry
Gwatkin Cider Co Ltd
Gwynt Y Ddraig Cider
Kingstone Brewery
Otley Brewing Company
Ralph's Cider & Perry
Spyder Ginger Beer
Ty Gwyn Cider
Wernddu Vineyard and Winery
Wye Valley Brewery

Did not see the Tudor Brewery on the list but they will no doubt be there somewhere, if not pop over the King's Arms for a pint or two.
Looking forward to a couple of days of samplying the best ciders, cheeses and other produce at this historic market town. Also will be on for a bit of a pub crawl in the night so if anyone fancies going to the King's Arms, the Angel, the Grofield and the Hen & Chickens then I'll be along to help those from Cardiff get on their correct train again! 
Will be tweeting during the Festival from my account @ArfurD and using the #abff hashtag during the festival.
The Festival is open Saturday and Sunday with lots more details on their website here.

Rumour has it that cidermaker Denis Gwatkin will be launching a new product at the show - a bit hush hush at the moment but is sure to send the corks popping when opened!

 

Above: Map of Abergavenny Town and the Food Festival

Journey Planner:

Aberystwyth Pub is best in South and Mid-Wales

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The Ship & Castle in Aberystwyth has beat pubs from across South & Mid-Wales to be crowned Regional Pub of the Year by CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale. The Ship and Castle will now compete against 15 other pubs for the national pub of the year title.
Described in the 2011 Good Beer Guide, published today, as
Ship & Castle, 1 High Street, Aberystwyth, SY23 1JG (Page 595, Good Beer Guide 2011)

The best just got better. A total refit has given this flagship real ale pub improved facilities while retaining its original character. A Mecca for townsfolk, students and visitors of all ages. Five draught beers are usually available, mainly from micros, alongside Westons Old Rosie and Perry. Bottled offerings include Gwynt y Ddraig cider and a small European range including Duval. Beers festivals are held in spring and autumn, and CAMRA runs occasional quiz nights.

The next beer festival at the Ship & Castle will be over the weekend of the 27th-28th October.

The Good Beer Guide is available on Amazon: