There is a lineup of fantastic Welsh celebrity chefs and food writers appearing at this year's festival.........
Narberth regulars Angela Gray and Peter Jackson, and new recruits Simon Wright, former AA inspector and restaurateur (the man behind Gordon Ramsey’s Channel 4 series ‘Kitchen Nightmares’) and Michelin-starred Abergavenny chef Stephen Terry, who came to prominence in the BBC’s ‘Great British Menu’ series.
‘Taste not waste’ is the credit crunch theme of this year’s festival, which is encouraging people to get more involved in producing their own food and tuning in to the fantastic local produce that is available. The celebrity chefs attending have a wealth of experience of producing as well as cooking food.
Angela Gray has for many years promoted Welsh produce and growing as much as one can – even if you start with growing a small collection of herbs in pots at the kitchen door. Angela is currently presenting a programme for BBC Radio, touring Wales in search of small festivals that promote the grass roots passions that she has discovered for food in Wales.
Peter Jackson Welsh Culinary Association President and chef-patron of the Maes y Neuadd near Harlech, has for many years made central to his dishes the produce which is grown in the hotel’s 200 year old gardens. Peter has been at the Maes-y-Neuadd for 17 years and developed the old gardens into a flourishing garden which supplies most of the produce
that the hotel serves to its guests.
When cooking at the Food Festival, Peter cooks with the produce available at the festival to show novel ways of producing chef-quality dishes that visitors can go home and try. Peter has been cooking at the Narberth Food Festival since its early days in the Queen’s Hall and has
seen it develop. ‘People are getting more aware of small suppliers and farm shops which has to be good for producers and consumers’ says Peter.
Simon Wright is something of a celebrity in west Wales after starring in his own BBC TV series about producing food for his restaurant ‘the Wright Stuff’ of Y Polyn restaurant will also be recounting some of his stories of his back to nature experiences in rural Carmarthenshire.