THOUSANDS of foodies are expected to descend on Abergavenny tomorrow, Sunday, for the fifth annual Christmas Food and Drink Fair. This year’s event will bring culinary stars and festive treats to the town for the one-day undercover event.

Organised by Abergavenny Food Festival, the fair is held at three undercover venues, which will be transformed into a winter wonderland offering unique gifts and the chance to pick up a signed book from guest chefs.

The fair offers workshops where festival-goers can get crafty, making everything from cards to chocolate treats for the perfect homemade Christmas as well as delicious goodies from more than 80 stallholders selling festive meats, cheeses, drinks and sweet treats.

There will also be five chef demonstrations in the Market Hall that are free to watch.

It has attracted a host a culinary experts including acclaimed mixologist Dom Jacobs, who will kick off the festive fun on the eve of the fair with his sold-out show-stopping cocktail masterclass and top tips all taken from his exclusive Mayfair cocktail menu at the Homes of Elegance store.

Among the local producers will be The Blaenafon Cheddar Co Ltd, Flavours of Monmouth, Trealy Farm Charcuterie and Chantler Teas.

New for this year is the Festive Farmyard. Greenmeadow Community Farm and Food Therapy by Ruth Tudor will be joining the festivities with some special friends and giving guests the chance to meet their favourite farmyard animals, including sheep, goats and pigs.

There will also be a competition running throughout the day to see who can correctly guess the weight of their prized pig, with the victor winning dinner for two at Llansantffraed Court Hotel, near Abergavenny and a signed book by celebrity chef Tom Kerridge.

Highlights include The Secret Treat Workshops, which are aimed at children (£5 per child) and feature face painting, making lanterns, gift boxes, tree decoration and Christmas Cards.

There is no need to worry about the weather as the entire event is undercover at The Market Hall, with a marquee on part of the Brewery Yard, upstairs in the hall and The Priory Centre, which will also have a marquee. Some of the stalls will be located on Cross Street.

Alongside all of this is a chance for the whole family to get involved with the Christmas Musical Feast and Festive Light Parade at 4.15pm when guests are invited to make their own lanterns and follow the Abergavenny Town Band to the Priory courtyard.

Here everyone will gather for a good old Christmas sing along and finish the day off with a rousing chorus of We Wish You A Merry Christmas, sending everyone home well and truly in the festive spirit.

Heather Myers, chief executive of the festival, said: “After the resounding success of the festival in September, we can’t wait to open the doors to Abergavenny once again and invite everyone back to celebrate Christmas with us.

“We really try to support local producers and to keep the event seasonal.

“Among the local producers are Liz Knight of Forage Fine Foods and Rufus Carter who are teaming up for a pate and canapes demonstration.”

“Our Welsh chefs will bring a range of festive ideas, including an alternative to the traditional Christmas turkey as well as festive sweets and treats that include a chocolate-making demonstration by Crickhowell-based Black Mountain Gold.”

“This year we have introduced the Festive Farmyard and have a whole host of musical entertainment from the brass band to street performers, chef demonstrations giving tips for Christmas as well as 80 producers undercover.

“Visitors will also be treated to a free mince pie and glass of mulled wine – all for your £5 admission.”

“It’s going to be really magical with the festive light parade and choirs singing in the Priory courtyard.”

The fair starts at 10am on December 13. Tickets are £5. Children under 16 accompanied by a paying adult go free.

The ticket office will be located outside the Market Hall. For details visit www.abergavennyfoodfestival.com

TEN stocking fillers to pick up at Abergavenny Christmas Food and Drinks Fair.

Finding the perfect stocking filler for that someone special can be tricky, so we’ve come up with our top ten picks.

1) A bottle of Apple County Cider Co’s finest. What better way to start Christmas than with a bottle of Monmouth’s award-winning cider.

2) Specialist Cheeses from Blaenavon. The Blaenavon Cheddar Company makes specialist cheeses in all sorts of weird and wonderful flavours from the World Heritage town. Matured at the bottom of Big Pit mineshaft, perhaps their most obscure is the Pwll Mawr Cheddar. Not just a great gift, but a talking point too.

3) Indulgent chocolate truffles handmade by Barry Colenso. Pick up a box of assorted handmade truffles from Barry Colenso. With a mixture including everything from milk chocolate to champagne and vanilla, these are perfect for those with a sweet tooth.

4) A bottle of Rosewater from Petals of the Valley. Is the foodie in your life a lover of Turkish Delight? If so, a bottle of Rosewater from Petals of the Valley is the ideal gift for them so they can make their own. The roses are grown and distilled organically on the farm in Monmouth and the water is the first in the UK to be approved as a culinary ingredient.

5) A Welsh timber chopping board from The Old Board Co. A full-size chopping board might be a bit big for a stocking, but The Old Board Co does handy little ones for chopping garlic, herbs and veggies too. Check out their collection of wine stacks too for the perfect addition to your kitchen.

6) A hamper full of Italian cooking essentials from Seeds of Italy. With hampers full of traditional Italian goodies from olive oil to pesto, they’ll have everything you need to bring the taste of regional foods from Tuscany, Sicily and Liguria to your loved ones’ kitchen.

7) A selection of flavour-infused olive oils from Cotswold Gold. The perfect alternative to a chocolate selection box; give your special someone six bottles of infused olive oils from Cotswold Gold to take their cooking up a notch. You can mix and match with a variety of flavours to find a bespoke combination including lemon, garlic, chilli and more.

8) A bottle of flavoured gin from Warner Edwards. If gin is their tipple of choice, why not treat them to a bottle of Gin from Warner Edwards? You could go for their original Harrington dry or go wild and give their elderflower, rhubarb or sloe gins a try; there’s cocktails just waiting to be created.

9) A Kilner jar full of Welsh honey from Hilltop Honey. Give the gift of a sweet treat to your favourite foodie, and buy them a Kilner jar full of raw honey made by British bees, the honey is a perfect accompaniment to your morning cereal, lunchtime salad, afternoon tea, or anything else you please.

10) A jar of sweet chilli sauce from The Mighty Soft Shell Crab. Last but certainly not least, Give a jar of sweet chilli sauce to spice up your special someone’s life. Created especially for Abergavenny Food Festival, the sauce is the ideal partner for all your Christmas nibbles and is sure to fly off the shelves.