In a fabulous festival first, the Vale Food Trail will this year launch at the Cowbridge Food and Drink Festival (May 26-27th), offering a whole programme of fun family activities hosted by Food Vale – the local food partnership for the Vale of Glamorgan - at the Old Hall Gardens site.

Offering visitors the chance to learn more about which food is good for people, place and planet the trail will kick off on Sunday 26th; throughout the day, Cardiff and Vale UHB Dietetics will be sharing information on healthy eating and Ediculture will host a mini plant sale with seeds and perennial herbs, along with herb and salad tastings.

Family-friendly craft activities will include make your own fresh fruit faces and animal characters, Awesome Wales will be inviting festival goers to create wildflower seed bombs to plant at home and there will be a guided foraging walk around the Old Hall and Physic Gardens for all to enjoy.

Activities will round off with a food quiz fit for all the family before kicking off again on Monday with another jam-packed schedule.

This will include an exhibition of the Vale Fairtrade Youth poster competition winners and plenty of delicious free samples and tasters.

A second foraging walk will be hosted by Ediculture and the Bumblebee Conservation Trust will be dropping in to give a talk on how we can all help to look after our beautiful bees.

Festival goers will then be able to join Urban Vertical in a create your own veggie sushi rolls session, listen to a talk from Llanblethlian Orchard on apple growing in the Vale and round off with Food Vale's fun, interactive food quiz.

Speaking about hosting this year's trail, Cowbridge Food and Drink Festival manager Tracy James-Lieberman said: "It's absolutely fantastic that the Vale Food Trail has chosen to launch with us this year – I know last year's debut event was a massive success and we're so looking forward to having the guys on site.

"All the activities are completely free and it really will add another element to an already great line up at the Old Hall Gardens. The programme really does offer something for all ages; we can't wait to get involved!"

Following the festival, the Vale Food Trail will run a two-week calendar of multi-location events, designed to bring people closer to food producers and businesses in the local area and acting as a celebration of the region's rich gastronomic heritage.

Ahead of the launch, Sustainable Food Places Co-ordinator at Food Vale Louise Denham said: "Last year, more than 500 visitors and locals travelled around the Vale, independently visiting producers, restaurants and other businesses for events which included farm tours, cookery workshops, tasting events, special exhibitions, live demos and more.

"We're thrilled with the line-up we have pinned down for 2024 and delighted to be launching at the Cowbridge Food and Drink Festival which is always a real highlight in the foodie calendar. As well as the activities listed, there are still others to be confirmed and we're hoping that lots of festival goers will join us; it's shaping up to be a great event!"

Programme of events:

Sunday 26th:

All day: Cardiff and Vale UHB Dietetics sharing info and resources on healthy eating; Ediculture running a mini plant sale with seeds and perennial herbs, along with herb and salad tastings.

11 – 11.30: Food Vale's family-friendly craft activities 

13 – 13.30: Awesome Wales wildflower seed bombs

14 – 14.30: Ediculture's guided foraging walk

16 – 16.30: Food Vale's interactive family-friendly food quiz.

Monday 27th:

All day: Vale Fairtrade exhibition; healthy eating with Cardiff and Vale UHB Dietetics

11 – 11.30: Samples and tasters with Vale Fairtrade

12 – 12.30: Ediculture's guided foraging walk

13 – 13.30: Beautiful bees with the Bumblebee Conservation Trust

14 – 14.30: Sushi roll making with Urban Vertical

15 – 15.30: Llanblethlian Orchard apple growing talk

16 – 16.30: Food Vale's interactive, family friendly food quiz.