Saturday September 17 to Sunday September 18 2016

The Abergavenny Food Festival won Best Event in Wales at the People’s Choice Awards 2016, so this year’s line-up has been eagerly awaited, and finally it’s been announced.

The 2016 festival has a distinctly international flavour, with chefs and producers descending on the small market town of Abergavenny from all corners of the globe. More than 40 talented chefs will be sharing their passion and expertise, including Monica Galetti, who originally hails from New Zealand, José Pizarro, born in Spain, Cyrus Todiwala, originally from India, and festival founder Jane Baxter, from considerably closer to home. This handy map gives just a taster of the chefs’ culinary origins:

There will be masterclasses in Korean cooking from Da-Hae and Gareth West, Malaysian cuisine from Norman Musa, Israeli flavours from Tomer Amedi of The Palomar, and Indian recipes from Cyrus Todiwala. Even the tutored drinks tastings and masterclasses will have a slightly exotic slant, with talks on sake and wasabi from Marie Cheong-Thong and Jon Old, sherry and tapas from Kay Plunkett-Hogge, and margaritas from Richard Ehrlich, as well as tips on more local tipples such as cider, gin and home brewing.

For the first time, there will be a world food market, hosting a diverse pop-up city of street food and producers, so look forward to sampling a mouth-watering array of flavours. Also new for 2016 is a gin palace showcasing small artisan distilleries from around the UK, including Welsh spirits specialists Dà Mhìle from Ceredigion.

The programme also includes plenty of chances for you to cultivate your own culinary talents. Mini master chefs can hone their skills at the Children’s Food Academy, while grown-ups can book a place for some expert tuition at the Artisan Cookery School.

An eclectic mix of music will provide a great backdrop to the weekend’s events, with Little Rumba, CoCo and the Butterfields, and RSVP Music leading Saturday night’s party at the castle, and a spectacular firework display will round off the party with a bang.

Thousands of visitors are expected to the beautiful market town of Abergavenny, so book your tickets online now for the best international food and drink in the heart of Wales.

The Abergavenny Food Festival is a social enterprise run on a not-for-profit basis and proceeds are reinvested in future events.