Thousands of foodies will head to Narberth at the weekend for an event which has established itself as a highlight in Wales’ gastronomic calendar.

Narberth Food Festival was founded 21 years ago as a showcase for local food and drink and this year’s event on Saturday and Sunday (September 28 and 29) is no exception.

Festival chair Colin Russell said that the five discounted stall allocations for new businesses - among more than 50 producers who will be attending the event - had all been taken up for the first time.

“We are delighted to provide a shop window for such a diverse range of amazing food producers,’’ he said.

“The Festival is a wonderful addition to the fabric of our town, we are really proud of the fact that it is still going strong after 21 years thanks to support from Pembrokeshire residents, visitors and independent businesses.’’

Visitors can expect wonderful Welsh produce, inspirational chefs, exciting culinary activities for all the family and great music.

Narberth Food Festival remains a not-for-profit organisation with any surplus ploughed back into the event.

It marks an important weekend for the local economy - food lovers travel from far and wide to enjoy the culinary workshops and masterclasses and sample artisan produce.

This year some of them will participate in some baking of their own thanks to a new competition - in collaboration with Welsh butter producer, Castle Dairies, the Festival will host a Bake Off-style challenge.

The initiative, led by the Festival patron and celebrity chef Angela Gray, will involve competitors producing a sweet or savoury creation incorporating Castle Dairies butter which they will be given when they register on the first morning of the event.

There are two categories - one for young people aged 16 years and under and the other for 17-year-old cooks and beyond – and there are some great prizes on offer including a one-day course at Angela’s cookery school.

Angela will lead some of the cookery demonstrations at the Festival.

Among the other chefs will be Great British Bake-Off star Jon Jenkins who will demonstrate the baking and decorating skills that made him a favourite on the 2018 show, while Pembrokeshire chef and forager Matt Powell will champion the use of seasonal foraged foods during a drop-in workshop.

Other highlights come courtesy of Orsola Muscia, a Pembrokeshire-based Italian chef, food writer and cook, Vic North, naturopathic nutritionist Lucy Davies, and Lisa Fearn, who runs a gardening and cookery school in Carmarthenshire.

The Festival will be staged at the Town Moor, Narberth, which will be abuzz with live music and free children’s entertainment throughout the weekend.

For more information and timetables, see www.narberthfoodfestival.com