Festival fever

How wonderful to be reminded about the ‘Glastonbury of food festivals’ — the Abergavenny Food Festival — as described in your Wales guide. I was there back in 2017. Spread across the small market town rather than across a muddy field, it had stalls letting you sample (and buy) co ee, burgers, cheese, gin and even Welsh wine. Best of all was a masterclass on innovations in chocolate. I learned so much, including how fermentation a ects the taste and how an experienced farm worker can open up to

500 cacao pods in an hour with a machete, without damaging the beans inside — and without harming himself! ANNETTE HAMES