Neath town centre is set to welcome thousands of people this weekend, as the popular Neath Food and Drink Festival makes a welcome return. More than 50 food and drink stalls will serve a wide range of local and regional produce, whilst visitors will also be able to try out many of the town's popular independent cafes, coffee shops, restaurants and bars.
The festival, which is free to attend and takes place on Friday, October 7 and Saturday, October 8, debuted back in 2009 and quickly became one of Neath Port Talbot's most popular and largest family-friendly events. Now, it's supported by Neath Port Talbot Council's Dramatic Heart of Wales campaign and is a food calendar staple, regularly attracting tourism to the area.
Over the years, the festival has helped put local food businesses on the map and helped remind people of the wide range of high-quality food and drink products created and sourced locally, with more than 80% of stallholders being Welsh producers. After a two-year break due to the Covid pandemic, locals and visitors will be looking forward to the festival making its return.
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Among the wide range of local stalls at this year's festival is Austringer Cider, a family-run cider maker based in the heart of Port Talbot's Afan Valley, and Pontardawe-based Little Goat Brewery which makes local tipples including Yankee Doodle Nanny and Satan's Little Helper. This year's festival will also welcome Fat Bottom Welshcakes from Bancyfelin and Van Goffi, a South-Wales mobile coffee bar. For a full list of traders, scroll down.
Announcing the dates for this year's festival, Neath Port Talbot Council said: "The hugely popular Neath Food and Drink Festival is returning to the town on Friday, October 7 and Saturday, October 8, 2022 with a generous serving of all the very best local produce.
"During the festival, the centre of Neath will be packed with more than 50 local food and drink stalls and exhibitors offering a range of food from South Wales and further afield to tuck into.
"The event will also give visitors the chance to try the town’s many cafes, restaurants, bars and shops serving up a delicious blend of local dishes and drinks."
All the stalls
Sharing a map of where you'll be able to find stallholders, organisers confirmed the following stalls will be located at Angel Square :
- The Crepe Escape
- Harry's Catering
- Smoky BBQ
- Van Goffi
- Meating Point
- Sunrise Patisserie
- Churros 1
- Loaded Sausage
- Riverford Organic
On Angel Street you'll find:
- Gower Preserves
- Emburs Desserts
- Spirit of Wales
- Greek Flavours
- Afal y Graig
- Gower Gourmet Fudge
On New Street , you'll find:
- Black Mountain Itals (Sat only)
- Gin Tin Bar
- Little Black Hen/Cocoa
- Harry's Catering Crepe
- Just Dewi's
- NPT College
- Marie Cresci Chs/cake
- Flavour Art Coffee
- Good & Proper Brownies
- Plenty Pastry
- GB Cheese Co.
- Hot Roasted Nuts
- SA Sauces
- Anglesey Spirit Co.
- My Pet Treats
- Blue Light Catering
- Gareth's Delicious
and on Green Street , you'll find:
- Staff
- Kind Cocoa
- Fudge Foundry
- Twisted Curry
- Little Grandma's Kitchen
- Pembs Chilli Farm
- Wigmore
- Gower Doughnut Co.
- Cardiff Distillery
- MKS
- Caws Teifi/Spirit
- Fat Bottom Welshcakes
- Lucelas
- Popty Cara
- Cwm Deri
- Little Goat
- Austringer
Plus, on The Parade you'll find some Neath Port Talbot Council services including recycling and workways.
Festival entertainment
On Friday, Neath Square will welcome Two Shades of Grey at 2pm and Neath Ukulele Club at 3pm, whilst the Town Hall will see performances by Elderly Bros at 12pm and Tom Martin at 1.45pm, and Angel Square will see Ellie Jones take to the stage at 12.30pm, Streetwise at 2pm and Ross Puleston at 4pm.
On Saturday, Neath Square will host cooking demos from Black Mountain Itals at 11am, Just Dewis at 1pm and Gwyn Hall Panto at 3pm, the Town Hall will host The Green Dragon Band at 12.30pm, Peter Jones at 1.30pm and Chris Keys at 3.30pm, and Angel Square will host The Lodgers at 10.30am, Melody at 1pm and Fourfold at 3pm. There will also be street entertainment from Jugglin Jim street entertainer on both days, and a 12pm performance by Swayne's Eye Morris Dancers on the Saturday.
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