ABERGAVENNY Food Festival is quite possibly my favourite event of the year.

The expanding annual event has so much to see and do and celebrates amazing food and drink from dedicated and passionate producers.

The ethos of the festival is to get people involved in cooking and to not just treat it like a spectator sport.

By showcasing what amazing produce there is available, festival organisers hope consumers will make more informed choices when planning their weekly meal times.

The whole of the town is transformed with hundreds of stalls selling such a mixture of items – from rosewater to welfare-friendly veal, from Herefordshire gin to oak smoked water.

And when you speak to each of the producers they are clearly so passionate about what they do – it makes you really appreciate the quality they offer.

A new addition to the festival this year was the Linda Vista Gardens. The beautiful gardens were just a very short walk away from the town centre and there was plenty of space to relax and take stock, away from the hustle and bustle of the streets.

Riverford Organic Farmers, which provide vegetable boxes (and meat boxes) around the country were holding masterclasses in the garden. They are passionate about the public being able to cook with fruit and vegetables which are in season and show people how to make the best of fresh produce.

The Belazu tent was also a popular attraction with chef demonstrations throughout the day which celebrated their products. They are the UK’s foremost expert on olives, extra virgin oil and balsamic vinegar of Modena.

I went to a brilliant, informative talk about Forgotten Skills, with Darina Allen, Rebecca Sullivan, and Leila Elamine and Anthony Morano.

They spoke about how more and more people do not know the cooking skills which their grandparents once knew, for example, making butter.

Darina was particularly passionate and spoke about the need for people to cook from scratch as she said highly processed foods are killing us. There was a lot of talk about sourdough and how it is the best loaf to bake at home.

If you haven’t been to Abergavenny Food Festival yet, I would really encourage you to go. It is such a celebration of good quality food and drink and left me feeling inspired to seek out the best local food and drink in my area.