DENBIGH will play host to its 11th plum feast this October.

The event, featuring food and drink from Wales as well as quality crafts, will take place on Saturday, October 5 at 9.30am at Denbigh Town Hall.

Visitors to the event are also encouraged to visit the number of small businesses in the town who will be providing craft activities and selling food incorporating plums.

The feast celebrates Wales’ native plum which received protection in February 2019; The Vale of Clwyd Denbigh Plum was awarded protected food name (PFN) status by the European Commission, joining the ranks of Caerphilly Cheese, Halen Mon and Welsh lamb.

A total of 80 stalls have signed up for the event.

Nia Williams, secretary of the Denbigh Plum Group, said: “The popularity of the event has grown considerably over the years. There were close on 6,000 visitors to the event in 2018.

"All the work for the plum feast is done by volunteers. They do this because they are so proud that the Vale of Clwyd has its own plum and want others to see what a wonderful fruit it in and how great a town Denbigh is.

North Wales Chronicle:

One customer samples the goods on offer

"The main aim is to promote food and drink made using the Vale of Clwyd Denbigh plum (PDO) and the promotion of the Welsh food is also important.

"Mr Peter Plum [Peter Jones, chairman of the Vale of Clwyd Denbigh plum group) has become quite a celebrity. He has made an appearance in the Houses of Parliament, the Senedd, Conwy Food Festival and this year was at the 25th Ludlow Food Festival with other Protected Food Names from Wales. One highlight is when little children meet Peter Plum - he should have his own cartoon book. So many love to meet him.

"The main highlight is the fact that small producers start with the Plum Feast in Denbigh and move onto bigger things."

The Denbigh Plum is the 16th Welsh product, and Wales’ first fruit, to gain the EU’s prestigious protected food name status.

Nia, who has been involved since the start of the plum feast, added: "This year we have a number of new food businesses who are in Denbigh for the first time - Welsh Mountain Kefir from Cilcain, Bao Revolution and E&C with their food trailer selling cooked local meat products with Henllan bread.

"It's really put the plum and the area on the map. There are so many excitinpossibilitieses for the whole of the Vale of Clwyd from a tourism, employment, educational, horticultural and food production perspective.

"The opportunities are endless and will hopefully lead to further tree planting, food processing and visitor engagement."

As well as the celebrating the fruit, the feast this year will welcome Harri Williams, head chef of Carden Park Hotel in Cheshire. The top chef, who has travelled the world and cooked at the Sydney Opera House in Australia, started his career as a young chef apprentice at the age of 15, leaving the family farm in Pandy Tudur.

Joining Harri will be Mark Robertson, chef lecturer at Coleg Cambria, who is also a member of the Wales Culinary Team.

Marina Midolo, of Ruthin, will host a session in the Kitchen Demo area.

For the first time this year, the Wireless Museum in Bridge Street in Denbigh is opening and will host a plum themed craft activity for six to 12 year olds. There will also be a free mosaic craft activity on offer in the town hall.

The event is supported by Wales Food and Drink Events funding.

Entry to the feast is free.