Gwledd Conwy Feast, Conwy, North Wales (October)
Gwledd Conwy Feast is held every October in what must surely be one of the most picturesque of food festival settings. On the edge of the Snowdonia National Park and in the shadow of the magnificent Conwy Castle, feast on Welsh specialities as you soak up the atmosphere.
Make the trip to Conwy in North Wales to soak up the atmosphere in this historic medieval coastal town. The Conwy feast food festival boasts an almost exclusively Welsh range of produce. Watch traditional farming crafts and skills in the grounds of Edward I’s impressive castle or wander down to the harbour front to feast on street food and try Welsh ales. Raise a glass for the traditional Welsh toast “Iechyd da”.
- Tasting kitchens
- Chef demonstrations
- Live music and fireworks
- Lantern-lit Wassail
Try out traditional rural skills and learn about farming
You’ll find local craftspeople at work from weavers, basket makers, wood turners and carvers to shoe and clog makers. There’s also the chance to get up close to a whole farmyard of animals from Welsh black cattle, Suffolk sheep, pigs, shire horses, hens, turkeys and geese. Watch traditional sheep shearing and chat with local farmers about their crops and sustainable farming methods.
Bring your own apples for juicing
The Conwy Feast celebrates apples in their many forms. Chat to experts about the best apple trees to grow, watch a cider demonstration or, best of all, taste traditional varieties of apples and cider. Bring along a bag of clean non-windfall apples and have them juiced. In the evening, festival go-ers are invited to take part in a lively lantern-lit wassail (just remember to bring something noisy to wake up the apple trees if you want to guarantee next year’s harvest).
Enjoy a tipple and meet local brewers
The Quayside Feast bar is strategically placed next to a music marquee so it’s a convivial place to try Welsh beers, liqueurs and wines. In the ale and cider tent, you can get merry drinking your way through 20 different beers and ciders from Conwy’s microbreweries including Purple Moose, Bragdy Nant, Great Orme and Conwy.
Sample, shop and enjoy food from near and far
The food on offer at the Conwy festival includes bounty from both land and sea. From farmhouse chocolates, handmade Welsh cakes and artisan cheeses, to locally caught mussels and freshly baked bread from Bodnant farm, the list is endless. You’ll be hit by the smell of festival favourite – the hog and ham roasts and sizzling sausage baps from the famous Edwards of Conwy butchery.
Tips
- Parking can be difficult. It’s better to use the park and ride facilities available for festival go-ers
- Shop for more local produce at Bodnant Welsh Food Centre which is only a 10 minute drive from Conwy town
- Keen cooks may like to sign up for a course at Bodnant’s own Cookery School
Where to Stay in North Wales
Castle Hotel
Conwy, North Wales
Set in a 300 year-old coaching inn, Castle Hotel has elegant bedrooms and a traditional restaurant.
Rooms from £75 a night.
Dogs
Sadly, they tell me that for hygiene reasons, dogs aren’t allowed in any feast areas unless they are assistance dogs. If you want to take me on a foodie autumn break, we could go to the Dartmouth Food Festival in Devon as there are lots of dogs there.
How to Find the Gwledd Conwy Feast
Gwledd Conwy Feast, Rose Hill St, Conwy, North Wales LL32 8AY
Website: www.conwyfeast.co.uk
The Foodie Travel Guide
Sally is the founder and editor of The Foodie Travel Guide. She travels around the UK and beyond in search of the best foodie days out, tasting experiences and delicious places to stay. She loves a glass of English sparkling wine, afternoon tea with friends and escaping London for gastronomic adventures.