Slow Food Cymru Wales are set to make an appearance at this year's Abergavenny Food Festival.

Hosting a social dining session to the local & vocal tent on Sunday, September 17, the not–for–profit organisation will be championing Welsh produce and producers as they seek to promote a better way to eat.

The theme for their upcoming event at the food festival will be based on local eating, eating together and the benefits that can bring.

At Slow Food Cymru's last event at Hay Festival in May, they held a forum where renowned food journalist and presenter of BBC Radio 4’s Food Programme Sheila Dillon; author and environmental journalist Louise Gray; manager of Our Food 1200 project in Bannau Brycheiniog, Duncan Fisher; and food historian Professor Bryce Evans of Liverpool Hope University, discussed the global challenges to food production and distribution.

The forum emphasised the role of the local via the Welsh concept of Milltir Sgwar (the square mile) in combating systemic inequalities through local resilience and sustainability. 

The concept of Milltir Sgwar (the square mile) has formed the basis of a travelling debate that Slow Food Cymru Wales have been hosting in a variety of venues over the past couple of years. 

Started online during the pandemic the organisation is keen to explore just what eating locally means to the nation and how this can be achieved. 

Summed up by Sheila Dillon: "Eating locally can be complex and a challenge but people report satisfaction from eating locally and it brings us joy.

"We have developed the theme by delving into the concept of communal eating.

"Based on the research of Bryce Evans Professor of Modern World History at Liverpool Hope University and author of Feeding the People in Wartime Britain, we are looking at the topic in the round. As he rightly states ‘we could be promoting social eating with dignity.’