| The Big Welsh Bite Food Festival | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Food festival |
| Dates | August |
| Location(s) | Pontypridd |
| Founded | 2003 |
| Founders | Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council |
| Attendance | 20,000 |
| Website | www.bigwelshbite.co.uk |
The Big Welsh Bite Food Festival is an annual food festival that is held in Pontypridd.
The festival was established in 2003 and is held each August in Ynysangharad War Memorial Park which is also home to the National Lido of Wales, a waterside café and bandstand.
The festival is notable for its size, attracting up to 20,000 people over two days, making it a significant event for the town of Pontypridd. Ynysangharad Park is located next to the River Taff with a few of the terraced houses typical of the South Wales Valleys. [1]
The festival aims to showcase and celebrate local companies and products. According to organisers of the event the festival "stands out and is so popular because all the produce available will be grown, reared, caught, brewed, pickled, baked, smoked or processed by the stallholders themselves". The focus is mainly on food and drink including Welsh cuisine and world food. The festival has also included a cookery stage, chef demonstrations, a bake off and beer garden. [2] [3]
The festival has also had craft stalls and arena shows and has included a farm area and a Silent World Aquarium. [4] [5]
The festival is organised and run by Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council. The festival has a number of sponsors which have included Glamorgan Brewing Company, local ice cream producer Subzero and the local radio station GTFM 107.9 FM. [6]
The festival has been supported by Welsh Government through the Food Festival Grant Scheme.
Pontypridd is both the county town of Rhondda Cynon Taf in Wales and a community. Often colloquially known as "Ponty", it is 12 miles (19 km) north of Cardiff.
James James (1832–1902) was a harpist and musician from Hollybush blackwood, Wales. He composed the tune of the Welsh national anthem Hen Wlad fy Nhadau. Today, the same tune is also used for the Breton anthem, Bro Gozh ma Zadoù, and the Cornish anthem, Bro Goth agan Tasow.
Treforest is a village in the south-east of Pontypridd, in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. It is situated in the Treforest electoral ward, along with the village of Glyntaff, being part of the Pontypridd Community. Treforest runs along the west bank of the River Taff, while Glyntaff runs along its east bank.
Pontypridd Town AFC is a Welsh football club, based in Pontypridd. The club play at USW Sports Park on Treforest Industrial Estate. The club plays in the Cymru South.
Narberth is both a town and a community in Pembrokeshire, Wales. It was founded around a Welsh court and later became a Norman stronghold on the Landsker Line. It became the headquarters of the hundred of Narberth. It was once a marcher borough. George Owen described it in 1603 as one of nine Pembrokeshire "boroughs in decay".
The Full Ponty was a music festival first held in Pontypridd on the 27–28 May 2006. The name Full Ponty is a pun on Full Monty, and Ponty, the local nickname of the town. The festival is associated with The Pop Factory and is held at Ynysangharad Park, with additional "Fringe" events taking place at various venues throughout Pontypridd, including comedy, and up-and-coming bands. The event's organisers stated a lack of big-name acts as the reason for no Full Ponty 2008 but then promised that it would return in 2009, though no further festivals have been held since. The TV show that launched the event is also no longer in existence, which was another factor in the demise of the event.
The Green Man Festival is an independent music, science and arts festival held annually in mid-August in the Brecon Beacons, Wales. Founded by Jo Bartlett and Danny Hagan in 2003 and now run by Fiona Stewart, Green Man has evolved into a 25,000 capacity week long event, showcasing predominantly live music. The festival site is divided into 10 areas, hosting literature, film, comedy, science, theatre, wellness and family acts. It is also possible to stay for a week at the festival site, known as the Settlement, and explore the surrounding area.
The Otley Brewing Company Limited, colloquially Otley Brewery, is a brewery located in Pontypridd, Wales. Established in 2005, it has won several awards, including the Champion Beer of Wales in 2006. The head brewer is Charlie Otley. In October 2016, the brewery was put up for sale by its owners. In February 2018 the brewery ceased trading.
Pontypridd F.C. is an amateur Welsh football team based in Pontypridd, formed in 2018 and inspired by the former professional club Pontypridd AFC that existed between 1911 and 1926. The club was reformed in May 2018 by former members of the Pontypridd Town reserve team.
Ynysangharad Park is a cricket ground in the centre of Pontypridd, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. It is located in Ynysangharad War Memorial Park.
Ynysangharad War Memorial Park is located in the town of Pontypridd, Wales. The area that now makes up the park was bought by the people of Pontypridd in 1919 after workers raised the money to have the park established. It was originally designed for those who lived in the surrounding area to have somewhere to relax from their work lives.
Pembrokeshire has been called "the cottage garden of Wales", due to its good soil and the beneficial effects of the Gulf Stream, which provide a mild climate and a longer growing season than other parts of the country. The good climate and soil meant that the south of the peninsula was coveted by the Norsemen and Normans because it had "great plentie" of corn and cattle The county has prime agricultural land, much of which is located at about 70m above sea level, while to the north, the Preseli Hills rise to 500m above sea level and form uplands that are made up of heather and bracken, which are used for grazing sheep. Consequently, Pembrokeshire is classed as one of the most fertile counties in Wales, with its 392,300 agricultural acres having 14% of its land classed as of good quality, 67% being classed as medium quality and 19% being classed as poor quality. However, agricultural production is subject to market forces and in the 1890s, as a result of the Panic of 1893, a deep agricultural depression led to the area under cultivation falling by a third. Many labourers and farmers had no option but to emigrate to the New World and many of the large farming estates were sold. World War I brought prosperity again, but by the 1930s, as a result of the Great Depression, there was another agricultural depression which lasted until World War II. During the Post-war period agriculture has benefited from marketing schemes and marketing boards, which have helped in the regulation, marketing and distribution of the county's agricultural production.
Narberth Food Festival is an annual food festival held at Town Moor, Narberth, Pembrokeshire.
Cardigan River and Food Festival is an annual food festival held at Cardigan, Ceredigion.
Neath Food and Drink Festival is an annual food festival held in Neath, South Wales.
Cowbridge Food and Drink Festival is an annual food festival held in Cowbridge, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales.
The Brecon Beacons Food Festival is an annual food festival that was established in 1998. The festival is held during October in Brecon, a town which is located in the Brecon Beacons National Park.
The Anglesey Oyster and Welsh Produce Festival is an annual food festival that was established in 2006 and is held during October in Anglesey, Wales.
The Big Cheese Festival is an annual food festival held in July that was established in 2000 and is held in Caerphilly.
Beaumaris Food Festival is an annual food festival held over a weekend usually during September in Beaumaris.