Narberth Food Festival 2025: A Weekend of Welsh Flavours
Each year, Narberth becomes a gathering point for those who take food seriously. On the 27th and 28th of September, the 2025 edition returns as a timely celebration of regional craftsmanship and culinary depth. This event speaks to the strength of local communities and their ability to present food as an anchor of identity and taste. There is method, patience and tradition here, unshaken by fads or superficial gestures. Held on the Town Moor, the festival attracts independent producers and discerning visitors who value skill, not spectacle.
What Happens at the Festival Grounds
The Town Moor is filled with traders who have prepared for months. Their produce comes with heritage, whether through farming, baking, cheesemaking, or preserving. The line-up extends beyond sales tables. Demonstrations by Welsh chefs bring kitchen technique to life with quiet confidence. There is live music that cuts through the ambient chatter, drawing attention rather than begging for it. Street theatre, presentations, and a tent devoted to talks and tastings all offer clear structure.
Local musicians support the rhythm of the event with performances scheduled across both days. Jodie Marie, well-known to regulars, has appeared previously, as have jazz ensembles and ukulele groups from nearby towns. Attendees move freely across stalls and stages. The presence of a licensed bar gives visitors the opportunity to rest and observe. Conversations form around the food, sparked by shared curiosity rather than forced engagement.
Guest chef Wynne Evans, who rose to wider attention through television, joins the 2025 edition across both days. His presence reflects the organisers’ preference for presenters who know how to balance presentation with purpose. He brings performance quality without overshadowing the craft that surrounds him. Other chefs will demonstrate quietly persuasive approaches to Welsh cuisine, bringing historical methods into public view.
Food Theatre Schedule
A considered programme of chefs and producers shapes the Food Theatre schedule this year, with demonstrations and talks planned across both days. On Saturday, 28th September, Dougie Balish, Executive Chef at The Grove, opens the day. Josh Freeman, co-founder of Salt + Smoke, presents a talk and tasting focused on their small batch smoked salmon.
Karl Jones-Hughes returns to Narberth in his role as Head Chef at Stopio. Owen and Michelle Rosser from Pembrokeshire Chilli Farm appear next, introducing their new line of BBQ rubs. Emma the Miller and Gabriele the Baker from Y Felin follow with their combined approach to flour and fermentation. The final session of the day features Matthew Rees with a talk and tasting centred on Carmarthen Ham.
Sunday, 29th September, begins with Gerwyn Jones, Head Chef at Lan y Môr. Angela Gray, the festival’s patron, speaks from her background in food writing and teaching. Simon Wright introduces Cegin y Bobl, a new initiative built around community kitchens. The schedule concludes with Ludo Dieumegard, Head Chef at the Harbourmaster in Aberaeron.
Other Things to Do Around Narberth
Narberth’s location places it within reach of several other activities. Carew Karting provides a 500-metre outdoor circuit with electronic lap timing. Contours Walking Holidays organise self-guided routes for those interested in short breaks along the Pembrokeshire paths. Celtic Haven Headland Golf Course offers a layout suitable for all levels without elaborate presentation. Battlefield LIVE operates just outside the area, using open woodland for a structured outdoor combat game.
Saundersfoot Harbour remains a constant draw, with a working waterfront that retains the shape of its industrial and fishing past. Those seeking marine wildlife encounters can head thirty miles offshore to the Celtic Deep for shark diving under qualified supervision. Heatherton Pitch and Putt gives another golf option, with a par-63 course that focuses on precision and clarity rather than decoration.
Temporary visitors might seek accommodation within Narberth or in nearby villages. A mixture of guest houses, B&Bs and small hotels meet different tastes. Mobile and fixed broadband coverage remain stable in most properties. While at rest, guests may choose to stream films or music or use the opportunity to play online slots or poker. Those inclined toward long-form reading will find local infrastructure dependable enough for downloading full books or browsing online archives without interruption. Signal dropouts are rare.
Organisation, Access and Numbers
The Narberth Food Festival was established in 1998 and is run entirely by volunteers. These individuals handle bookings, permits, publicity, and curation. They receive support from local businesses and have built a calendar fixture with minimal bureaucracy. By remaining focused and efficient, the organisers avoid confusion and repetition.
Up to 150 traders participate each year, with 99% coming from Wales. These are not imported brands or touring merchants. Attendance has exceeded 7,000 in previous editions, and that figure remains realistic for 2025. The field fills steadily without rush, giving everyone space to speak, taste and observe. A park and ride scheme runs from the north and south of the town. Locations are SA67 7FE and SA67 8RG. Shuttle buses transport visitors back and forth with consistent timing. Collections are taken voluntarily at these sites for local charities.
Admission is free for those under the age of 16. Adults pay a modest fee which supports the running of the event. The absence of commercial sponsors shapes the atmosphere. There are no branded giveaways, and no attempts to manipulate behaviour through gimmicks. Visitors act freely and vendors speak without scripts.
What the Festival Achieves
Two gold awards from the Pembrokeshire Tourism Awards reflect the steady execution of the event over time. Government surveys reveal a consistent pattern. A large percentage of attendees become more aware of local produce, and many intend to spend time within the town during their visit. Narberth becomes known as a place that brings people together around competence, integrity and clear taste.
Among other cultural events in the region, the festival holds a clear position without relying on promotion or scale. The number of returning guests reflects this. Some visitors travel significant distances to attend, then return in subsequent years. Conversations with stallholders continue year to year. Producers explain changes in the soil, the yield, the animal feed or the curing time. People listen. This exchange happens without microphones or projections.
The local economy receives a sustained flow. Survey data shows that over 45% of attendees spend between £10 and £50 within the area beyond the festival grounds. Shops, cafes and bookshops all take part in this pattern. The festival does not pull trade away. It supports the wider commercial shape of the town.
A Place Defined by Steadiness
Narberth Food Festival succeeds because it refuses to overreach. It defines its scope each year and maintains it. The organisers do not chase trends or inflate the programme. What occurs on site is measured and deliberate. It brings a sense of liveliness to September, during a time when most events have wound down. While it doesn’t reflect Wales in spring, it carries the same practical rhythm of preparation and fresh focus.
In such an arrangement, visitors find something of rare value. They encounter people who do what they say, and say what they know. The scale of the event allows conversations to begin without pressure. There is no background noise of commerce trying to disguise itself as enthusiasm.
Those who come to Narberth for the festival may find themselves walking away with several small decisions made: a new cheese for the table, a schedule for the week’s meals, a contact made for delivery. They may also walk away with something less tangible: a sense that Welsh flavour is not a theme, but a fact. The structure supports it, the crowd understands it, and the food carries it.
