Best food and drink for miles around at Kington's festive food and drink festival on December 6

Producers from Herefordshire, Wales, Shropshire, Worcestershire, Gloucestershire and the Midlands will gather to offer a great shopping experience as the town starts the festive season. 

About 90 artisan exhibitors are expected, selling a wide range of goods such as wine, cider beer, apple juice, spirits, charcuterie, gourmet mushrooms, chocolate and fudge. 

Other treats include patisserie, spices, cheese, sauces, nuts, olives, marshmallow, puddings, fermented food, pies, meat and game, bread, preserves, and oils.

There will also be books, crafts stalls, Christmas trees, wreaths, flowers, dog treats and food pottery and wicker.

The food festival will have plenty of drinks on offer with gins from Penrhos, Wildjac and Hay Distillery.

For something a little warmer, try the hot ciders from Orgasmic or Pip’s Cider, and if cider’s not your choice, there’s always real ale from Antur or Lucky 7 breweries. 

There are some great artisan food producers showcasing their products, such as Brecon Chocolates, Bringer Goats Cheese, Alex Gooch breads and Pompedio’s Delicious  Pies.  

During the day, Kington and District Operatic Society, Kington Community Choir, and other artists will be singing festive tunes and Street Sax entertainers will be performing around the festival site. 

Established in 2004 with just 15 stands, the festival has now expanded and covers the Market Hall, the coach house, Place De Marines, Cloud Nine car park, the National Farmers’ Union car park and Mill Street car park. 

The festival has attracted many new producers this year.

Moma Cellar from Hay on Wye offer farmhouse created beer and natural ciders.

The whole project is based on a circular economy model: growing the fruit, using it within the drinks, and then valorising the sub-product and closing the loop.

Their approach to cider making is simple: nothing added, nothing taken away. All of the ciders are wild fermented, no added sulphites, unfiltered, unfined and unpasteurised and they want to encourage people to drink and enjoy the “Welsh Pomona”.

 They are one of the few current breweries using only British malts and hops but also incorporating Welsh ancient grains like Hen Gymro.

Whinyard Rocks wine is created by Susan and James. 

It all began in the 1910s when James’ great-grandfather bought a sheep farm in his homeland of the mid-Wales borders. 

Susan and James were living and working in London - James as a scientist and Susan at a sustainable food and drink start-up - when James had a wild idea of planting vines on the family farm. 

Together with friends they planted their first half acre in 2017, then later escaped the city and moved to Wales to tend to their low-intervention vineyard.

In 2020 they threw ourselves into renovating Highbrook Cottage and harvested their first grapes. 

With over 20 years’ experience in the fruit pressing business making juice for private clients, Forbidden Fruits is a new venture making apple based drinks available for purchase for all.

They pride themselves on only using local Herefordshire produce and never from concentrate. 

All their juices are freshly pressed with no added sugar, flavourings or water in any of our products.

Their newest venture is apple based cocktails, with the initial trial batch being made of berries foraged from the hedgerows of Herefordshire. 

After being slowly steeped in gin for four months prior to blending with the freshly pressed apple juice, the cocktails are carbonated and canned. 

Other newcomers include Bringer Goats Cheese and Wythall Estate vineyard with their wine

Mea Via will be bringing fresh pasta from Hereford.

Their artisan pastaio, a master of his craft, pours heart and soul into every batch of egg pasta.

Using time-honoured techniques passed down through generations, he transforms simple ingredients into exquisite strands of pasta that delight the senses.

They source the finest ingredients and handcraft every piece with precision, ensuring that every dish tells a story of passion, tradition and authenticity.

The Unique Rocket Bar will be making both sweet and savoury crepes.

The Unique Rocket Bar truly lives up to its name — it’s the only Rocket Bar ever built by Rocket Caravans Ltd, making it the most unique mobile Rocket Bar in the UK.

They bring a unique atmosphere that transforms your event. 

The main food offerings on the National Farmers Union car park will include the Beefy Boys, 

Antur beer, Pizza Box from Hay-on-Wye, Golden Goats, Happy Dumbling with their Chinese steamed dumplings and El Coffee Shack with freshly brewed coffee

The event is free of charge, parking will also be free and a park and ride service will be in operation from the doctor’s surgery, starting at 10am until 3pm and it drops visitors off in the heart of the festival.

The main sponsors of this year’s event are White Heron Cassis, which will be serving

their delicious cocktails and bottles to buy and Connops