Harvest food festivals in Wales
Wales grows and produces extraordinary food, from salt marsh lamb and Pembrokeshire Early Potatoes to Perl Wen cheese and laverbread. Autumn is when much of it comes to festivals and markets.
Buy your train tickets early for the best fares and plan your journey before you travel.
Here are some of our favourite events, all reachable by TfW trains.
1. Abergavenny Food Festival
Abergavenny Food Festival is one of the most celebrated food events in the UK, drawing chefs, producers and food writers from across Britain and beyond to the small market town in the foothills of Bannau Brycheiniog.
Held every September, the festival fills the town's castle grounds, market hall, tithe barn and surrounding streets with cooking demonstrations, tastings, talks and street food. Producers come from across Wales and the Welsh Marches. The quality is excellent.
How to get there: Abergavenny station is on the Welsh Marches line. Journeys from Cardiff take around 45 minutes. The station is a short walk from the festival site.
2. Cardiff's street food and market scene
Cardiff’s market scene is well worth exploring in autumn. Cardiff Market on St Mary Street is one of the oldest covered markets in Wales. On Sunday mornings, Riverside Farmers' Market draws some of the best producers from across the Vale of Glamorgan and beyond. Autumn brings seasonal Welsh produce like wild mushrooms, squash, game and orchard fruit.
How to get there: It’s a short walk to the markets from Cardiff Central station.
3. Llandeilo food and drink
Llandeilo is a small, handsome market town in the Tywi Valley with an outsized reputation for food. The town has excellent independent delis, butchers, bakeries and restaurants that reflect the quality of the farming in the surrounding countryside. Several producers in the area hold open farm events and harvest suppers in the autumn months. Keep an eye on local listings for events in and around the town each year.
How to get there: Llandeilo station is on the Heart of Wales line from Swansea, with a journey time of around 40 minutes. It’s one of the most scenic rural railways in Britain. The autumn colours along the Tywi Valley make the journey worthwhile in its own right.
4. Ludlow Food Festival
Just over the border in Shropshire, the Ludlow Food Festival in September is one of the finest food events in Britain. The medieval market town fills with producers from across the region, including many from Mid and North Wales. The castle grounds are one of the most atmospheric settings for any food event anywhere.
How to get there: Ludlow station is on the Welsh Marches line, with TfW services from Cardiff taking around two hours and from Shrewsbury around 30 minutes.
5. Pembrokeshire's autumn produce
Pembrokeshire is best known for its early potatoes and summer produce, but autumn brings its own rewards. Local crab and lobster, wild mushrooms from the oakwoods around Narberth and the Preseli Hills and game from the estates of the county. Several farm shops and local producers hold seasonal events and harvest open days in October. Tenby's covered market is a good starting point for finding local produce. The town is beautiful in autumn (and quieter too).
How to get there: Tenby station is on the Pembroke Dock line from Swansea. The journey from Cardiff takes around two hours.
