Foodie Travel: Food Festivals and Cooking Schools in Wales

Looking for a unique foodie experience in the UK? Check out Wales, which has some great local specialities (especially for fans of seafood and lamb) and a good range of food festivals during the harvest time. 

Food Festivals

September 20-21
Abergavenny Food Festival
 
Abergavenny

This event is called the "Woodstock of Food Festivals" and is one of the biggest events on the UK foodie calendar. Visitors can pick up local produce, try international dishes, meet celebrity chefs, take master classes and sample selections from local pros. 

September 27-28
Mold Food and Drink Festival
 
Mold
This event showcases local produce and celebrity chef expertise with live music.
 
October 11-12
Anglesey Oyster & Shellfish Festival 

Beaumaris
This festival started as an informal event where locals would gather to eat oysters and get merry, but it now attracts thousands of visitors each year.
 
October 25-26
Gwledd Conwy Feast
Conwy
The medieval town of Conwy hosts the largest celebration of music, art and food of Wales. The quayside, the castle and the medieval streets are all filled with activities, so be sure to leave plenty of time for some proper exploring.

 

Cooking Schools

Some of Wales’ finest cooking schools are located near Food Festival venues.  Many are located within farm and/or vineyard complexes and offer accommodation and local tastes from their own farm shops.

Cookery School at Bodnant Welsh Food 
Visitors here can look out over the Conwy Estuary while they hone their culinary skills. Bodnant Welsh Food Centre is located at Furnace Farm in the Conwy Valley in North Wales. Originally built in the 18th century, the buildings have been restored and include a farm shop, tea room, restaurant, cookery school and farmhouse accommodation.
 
Llanerch Vineyard 
Llanerch Vineyard is right in the middle of the Glamorganshire countryside in south Wales, 20 minutes from the capital city of Cardiff. Visitors can take classes at celebrity chef Angela Gray’s Cookery School, go on a self-guided vineyard tour or relax at the restaurant or bistro.
  
The Culinary Cottage Cookery School 
Located near Abergavenny in the Black Mountains, the Culinary Cottage Cookery School is good for novices and advanced chefs alike. Chef Penny Lewis has cooked for dignitaries, celebrities and royalty, including a private dinner party for HM The Queen.
 
The Chef's Room Fish and Cookery School 
Located in the south eastern part of Wales, near the town and World Heritage site of Blaenavon, the school was a British Cookery Awards 2013 Winner; it was named the Best Cookery School in Wales.
 

Visit www.americas.visitwales.com to learn more about Wales' foodie scene.