Feastival Does The Business
IMG_1168, originally uploaded by The Alternative Food Festival.
Following last year’s success, Bridgend’s newest flagship event Feastival, Wales’ Alternative Food Festival, has started to attract substantial attention and interest from the Welsh media and business community. It attracted over 35,000 people to the town centre in 2010 in what was its first year of operation. This year, it takes place on 30th September and 1st October, and is promising to be even bigger and better.
The event has attracted 55 Welsh food & drink companies who will be exhibiting in the town centre and a further 10 quality craft and non-food related businesses who have been carefully selected to participate. Exhibitors will be showcasing the best that Welsh food and drink has to offer including meat, dairy, bakery products, preserves, eggs, fruit & vegetables plus a range of wines, beers, ciders and perrys.
“We’re delighted the way that Feastival is developing and the interest that we’ve received from the local business community” said Councillor David Sage, Deputy Leader of Bridgend County Borough Council “The event deliberately pitches itself as being different to any other food festival in Wales which is probably why it is becoming such a hit with residents, visitors and businesses”
Feastival has attracted support from a number of local businesses including Bridgend success story Just Perfect Catering, The Welsh Perry & Cider Society, Fiat, and Filco, who are launching a new town centre store in Bridgend early in 2012. The event is also hosting a Town Centre Regeneration Reception on Friday 30th September showcasing the town to a number of select and interested investors who will see at first hand that Bridgend is dynamic, forward thinking with a new interesting focus on events such as Feastival to draw people in to the town centre. The event’s Italian Quarter which is a new attraction this year, has also presented a great opportunity for local businesses to benefit. The town’s three quality Italian Restaurants, Zia Nina’s, Il Panino and La Strada are all using the opportunity to promote their businesses to anew audience.
Feastival’s main attraction this year is the Welsh food artist and Britain’s Got Talent star Nathan Wyburn, famed for his ,Marmite on Toast’ portraits. Alongside Nathan, the event this year will feature allotment expert Terry Walton from BBC Radio 2, and several unusual food related attractions such as the Egg Drop Championship, a ‘Leek Lobbing’ competition, Chefs on Stilts and all the other trimmings that you expect at a food festival.
For further details visit http://www.walesalternativefoodfestival.com
Marmite Artist to be Toast of Feastival!
Feastival gets a whole new flavour this year after securing the talents of ‘Marmite on toast’ artist Nathan Wyburn for this year’s event.
Nathan, who shot to fame this year as a finalist on TV’s Britain’s Got Talent, is the latest great attraction confirmed for this year’s Wales Alternative Food Festival being held in Bridgend on 30September and 1 October.
Feastival, the Wales Alternative Food Festival organised by Bridgend County Borough Council, was held for the first time last year and was an outstanding success attracting more than 35,000 people to the town.
And Nathan is hoping to wow this year’s visitors in the same way as he wowed TV audiences with his Marmite portrait of Michael McIntyre.
Nathan has mainly painted portraits of the rich and famous ranging from Amy Winehouse to the Queen, but now wants to find a new face to become the toast of Wales!
He’s offering the Welsh public the chance to have their own face painted using this unusual technique.
Nathan said: “I’m appearing at Feastival, the Wales Alternative Food Festival in Bridgend later this month and as it’s a bit different as far as food festivals are concerned, I wanted to do something different myself. We’re not looking for the most beautiful face as such, it just has to be interesting I suppose and a bit of a challenge for me. I’m really looking forward to it.”
Councillor David Sage, Deputy Leader of Bridgend County Borough Council, added: “The Wales Alternative Food Festival is developing a reputation in Wales for being quirky, and its only in its second year and has already been a huge success.
“When we first saw Nathan on Britain’s Got Talent, we immediately got in touch with him as he was perfect for our event.
“We needed an act to top last year’s unique food art project that created a Giant cauliflower sheep and in Nathan, he certainly fits the bill, we’re delighted that he’s coming to Feastival.”
Alongside Nathan, the event this year will feature several unusual food related attractions such as the Egg Drop Championship, a ‘Leek Lobbing’ competition, Little Italy, Chefs on Stilts and all the other trimmings that you expect at a food festival.
- Anyone can enter the competition by submitting their portrait photograph to the Feastival Facebook page before 25 September. Full details of the event and the Facebook page can be accessed via www.walesalternativefoodfestival.com
