MONMOUTHSHIRE Food Festival brought together a number of the county's leading chefs and award winning producers for this year's event.

The festival, which ran last weekend on Saturday 30th and Sunday 31st May at Caldicot Castle, saw many of the visiting chefs creating dishes in the demonstration theatre.

Adam Whittle, head chef at the Newbridge on Usk Hotel, was in the theatre on Saturday. Adam, who has won two AA rosettes during his time at the White Hart Village Inn in Llangybi, showed visitors his dish made with new season lamb from Glam Lamb, based in south east Wales.

Also in the demonstration theatre was chef and owner of Restaurant 1861 at Cross Ash, Simon King. He uses ingredients from local farmers and butchers wherever he can, and most of the fresh vegetables he uses come from his father-in-law's nursery in Nantyderry.

There was also be a double act to be found on stage on Sunday. Michael Hendry, head chef at Llansantffread Court Country House Hotel, near Raglan, was part of the team at the Crown at Whitebrook when it was awarded a Michelin star.

Now a head chef in his own right, Michael is a fierce advocate of local produce too and gets a lot of his ingredients from the hotel's kitchen garden.

He teamed up with Adrian Walker from Golden Valley Meat and Game. Adrian is one of only 14 master butchers in the UK, and the only one in Wales.

He gave a butchery demonstration to the audience, and then passed the meat over to Michael to create a dish for them to try.

The chefs were joined by producers such as Monnow Valley based cider producers Ty Gwyn, though perhaps the most local producer at the festival was Castles Brewery, which had a range of real ales brewed just a mile away from Caldicot Castle.

Festival organisers said that the festival had been the best yet, with a great turn out from both members of the public and producers. There was also excellent feedback from visitors for the demonstration theatre – a new feature for this year.

The Monmouthshire Food

Festival will return in October 2015 with chefs already being lined up to return and create dishes from seasonal game.