A chef from Abergavenny has described his cooking demo at last weekend’s food festival as a ‘full circle’ moment, having grown up in the town taken over by traders and producers from far and wide every year.

Jon Cholakian first spoke to The Chronicle in 2025, when his talent was noticed by the world renowned London department store, Harrods. He was asked to do a similar demo there, and since then his natural flair for bespoke and unique cuisine has only boosted his profile. Having cooked for celebrities like the comedian, Russell Howard and former Olympic athlete, Iwan Thomas MBE, the local lad has certainly made a name for himself.

But for the first time ever, Jon was asked to prepare a demo for the Abergavenny Food Festival - an occasion which would represent a huge milestone in his career.

“When you start out on these things, you never really know what the trajectory is going to be,” the chef explained on a sunny Saturday lunchtime in the Upper Brewery Yard.

“I’ve been coming to this festival since I was a teenager, so to be able to come over to the other side of the line and do a demonstration was great. It’s been a whirlwind to be honest, but you’ve got to roll with the opportunities that come your way and it has been an incredible journey so far.”

Opening the festival with the fist performance of the weekend, Jon prepared an asian-style gyoza with crab and chilli, served with a prawn and tomato sauce. Those lucky enough to be sat near the front even got to taste some too. They didn’t care that it was 10am and gyozas aren’t a typical breakfast staple. Surely, the thousands that visited Abergavenny over the weekend were here for the delicious samples.

After all, most of the normal rules go out the window when the food festival is in town!

Being the opening act of a food festival wanting to place a huge emphasis on local produce on your home turf is no mean feat. For the most part, Jon travels across the country bringing his expertise to the kitchens of his clients with his own private dining experience. His business, Gastronomy By Jon, was launched seven years ago and has resulted in new opportunities in every corner of the UK.

“To come back to my hometown and do a demonstration is lovely,” Jon continues.

“You can see it makes me smile. It was very much like a homecoming for me, it is really cool to see so many friendly faces, some I recognise, coming together and enjoying themselves.”

Jon is currently writing his first cookbook, scheduled for release in 2027 for those hoping to add a flavour of the Abergavenny demo into their own cooking. While it may seem a long way off, Jon also makes no secret of wanting to return to next year’s festival armed with his new cookbook to share with the locals and visitors who have been captivated by his work.