13,000 visitors enjoy a taste of the Big Bite

MORE than 13,000 people flocked to the Big Welsh Bite festival in Pontypridd despite a weekend of mixed weather.

With a combination of rain, hail and sunshine, the festival at Ynysangharad Memorial Park still proved to be as popular as ever, attracting visitors from all over Wales and the UK.

Organised by Rhondda Cynon Taf council and sponsored by Tonypandy ice-cream company Subzero, the 14th annual festival featured more than 50 food and drink exhibitors, as well as attractions and family activities, arena entertainment and demonstrations.

The crowds sampled and took home food, all of which was grown, reared, caught, brewed, pickled, baked, smoked or processed by the stallholders themselves.

Among the stalls were Ridiculously Rich by Alana, winner of the BBC’s Apprentice; Cardiff-based La Ffroga’s pop-up street food stall C’est Cheese, Welsh meat supplier of the year Rhosyn Farm, Breconbased Coity Bach Farm, The Artisan Cook, Taffy’s Treats, Carmarthenshirebased Good and Proper Brownies, Shelly’s Shortbread and Abercynonbased Ooh La La Patisserie.

Arena entertainment included the Black Rock Llamas, who hold the world record for jumping, having cleared a 3ft, 8.5ins bar, and demonstrations from the award-winning Black Mountains Falconry Display Team.

Also on show was the Savage Skills BMX Stunt Show, a freestyle mountain bike stunt team and winners of eight world titles and 25 British titles.

Coun Maureen Webber, deputy leader and cabinet member for council business, said: “Not only did we have exquisite cuisine from Welsh exhibitors, but we also had top class entertainment for our 13,000 visitors to Ynysangharad War Memorial Park.

“A huge thanks to all visitors and exhibitors who came along to support Big Welsh Bite 2017, making it such a massive, mouth-watering success once again.”