The Abergavenny Food Festival 2017 starts with a baaaaa….ng!

  Last night I was delighted to attend The Abergavenny Food Festival Community Feast in the old Market Hall and I have to say, I was extremely impressed. This year’s decorations were bird themed and the air was seemingly filled with owls, chickens and chicks; the vegetable bunting was genius.  The Community Feast is the festival’s way…

The Pheasant Philosophises Part 1

I spent last Saturday on a bit of a foodie mission. I tried to prove that my theory about city folk having better access to organic and artisanal producers than we country folk (who make and farm said produce), was wrong. I have to admit that I was, in many ways, right. I think that…

Personal Picks for Abergavenny Food Festival 2017 #AFF2017

  I am so proud to champion Abergavenny Food Festival. Abergavenny is just under half an hour’s drive from my home in Monmouth and (perhaps I am a little biased) but I absolutely love it. It’s an international festival with a wonderfully local feel; I adore the crowds, the sites, smells and of course the…

My Organic 60/40 #feedyourhappy

Yesterday saw the launch of The Organic Trade Board’s #feedyourhappycampaign. This EU backed initiative aims to encourage people to ‘go organic’, even if it’s only a little bit! I have been a strong supporter of organic produce for many years and try, cost permitting, to use organic produce as much as possible. I think there…

#sourdoughseptember

So, it’s now officially #sourdoughseptember and a perfect excuse to indulge in proper bread. I first discovered sourdough some years ago in France – its French name is Pain au Levin. It seemed only to be sold in artisanal bakeries and I often wondered what exactly gave this wonderfully flavoursome bread its flavour – fast…

Back to school, foodie festivals….and sticky buns!

For years, those words, banded about from about mid-June terrified me. I admit that I did not enjoy school; I was classic bully fodder and suffered terribly. Now, Master A is about to start secondary school; luckily he takes after Mr D and is very popular albeit a little geeky around the edges and after…

In search of breakfast…

Allegedly the most important meal of the day; and I am inclined to agree. Until I eat breakfast I just can’t concentrate properly – I have read a great deal on breakfast, researched ‘breakfast’ throughout the world, looked in to history it it – and became rather fascinated about it’s changing role in our society….

Well, I’m back…

A long weekend in Cheshire and NorthWales is to be highly recommended. We were, as always budget conscious and enjoyed two nights away with Master A (who is a rather vocally pedantic pre-teen) at The Bear’s Head in Brereton which is close to Sandbach and about 30 miles from Manchester. The room was clean and…

Let’s start with the Lower Wye Valley

I have to admit that, beautiful as our area is, we are off and over this hills this bank holiday. However, I thought it would be rather nice to share a few thoughts for those of you who’s ‘over the hills’, is actually my little part of Wales. The Wye Valley has been a popular…