Christmas delights at Winter Fair produce show
Traditional Christmas cakes like this delicious-looking former prize-winning
entry will be on view in the produce section at this year’s Royal Welsh Winter Fair.
One of the most popular attractions at the Royal Welsh Winter Fair, the Produce and Handicrafts section, is being relocated from its usual site in the South Glamorgan Exhibition Hall to the former food hall on the showground at Llanelwedd, Builth Wells.
The move, which has been made possible by the opening of the new £1.6m Food Hall at this year’s Royal Welsh Show, will release space occupied by the section for additional agricultural trade stands. The old food hall, now named the Clwyd Glamorgan Hall, will also house the antiques section formerly located in a building removed from the site of the new Food Hall complex.
Ceredigion, the Royal Welsh feature county this year, introduced the Produce and Handicrafts section at the Winter Fair in 1995 when Ceredigion was last featured. The county wanted to widen the appeal of the Fair by including exhibits of particular interest to more visitors and devised a produce and handicrafts competition. Other counties took up the challenge and enthusiastically set about increasing the number and variety of displays and demonstrations at the Fair.
The original produce and handicrafts show quickly expanded and it now attracts hundreds of entries which always have a seasonal theme. Much imagination and creative flair goes into planning classes that test the skills of the competitors as cooks and confectioners and their dexterity at handicrafts. Even young children get the chance to show off their cleverness in the kitchen by making such treats as edible snowmen, mince pies and other culinary delights.
This year’s Fair has 15 classes for produce ranging from brandied fruit to a Boxing Day brunch, and 14 classes for handicrafts such as a Christmas gift for a man, Christmas tree decorations and photographs of snow scenes.
One of the most colourful and attractive features for visitors, the Floral Art show, the theme of which will be ‘A Seasonal Welcome’ has also been relocated to the Clwyd Glamorgan Hall. Seven classes are open to competitors where they can demonstrate their artistic ingenuity and talent to good effect with exhibits ranging from ‘A Christmas Wedding’ (an arrangement suitable for a buffet table), to ‘A Child’s Christmas in Wales’ or ‘A Victorian Christmas’.
The Assistant Honorary Director of the Winter Fair, Mrs Kay Spencer, said she was delighted that the produce and handicrafts and floral art sections are moving into the new venue this year. The antique stalls will also be a welcome additional attraction for people who valued having special places on the site to visit. The changes, she said, would be warmly welcomed.
The livestock classes at the Winter Fair, which today is recognised as one of the finest prime stock shows anywhere in the world, are the core attraction but its role in promoting the produce of Welsh agriculture has become increasingly important. The new Food Hall is a must-see venue for visitors to the two-day event which takes place on November 29 and 30. A large selection of products will be on view and the variety of food and drink for Christmas such as cheeses, chocolates, relishes, meats, breads, wines and many other delicious and high quality specialities will be available for shoppers.