The 2018 Neath Food and Drink Festival held between October 5th -7th was a resounding success with more than 60,000 people visiting the town during its three day run.
Organised by Neath Port Talbot Council’s Regeneration and Economic Development team, the event celebrated its 10th anniversary this year, the 60,000 visitors representing an increase in footfall compared to those three days in the previous week of 75%.
A total of 62 artisan traders attended, of which 77% were from Wales, and 18% were new businesses trading for less than two years.
Visitors were treated to a varied selection of produce, from cup-cakes to buffalo meat, with just about everything else in between.
To celebrate the 10th anniversary, the Council hired celebrity chef Jean-Christophe Novelli on the Saturday (Oct 6th), who gave two free cookery demonstrations in the Gwyn Hall then spent the rest of his time visiting stalls and chatting to traders and the public.
He also paid a visit to the town’s popular Neath Market.
Later on the Saturday, Moruzzi’s restaurant in Neath in partnership with the Council, hosted a ticketed “Evening with Jean-Christophe Novelli” event which was also a great success.
Neath’s own Katie Davies, a quarter finalist in Britain’s Best Homecook competition, also gave a free demonstration in the Gwyn Hall.
In a report giving details of the sucessful event to members of Neath Port Talbot Council’s Regeneration and Sustainable Development Cabinet Board on Friday (October 26th), the authority’s Head of Property and Regeneration, Simon Brennan, said: “The festival is a testament to collaborative working, with the Council coming together with the Town Council, Neath Inspired, the Town Centre Consortium and the Welsh Government.
“Ingredients for the demonstrations were kindly donated by Neath Market traders and Morrisons supermarket. In addition, Park Lives - a scheme to encourage people to make the most of local parks – provided entertainment and activities for children in Victoria Gardens.
“Feed-back from this year’s Festival has been exceptional, with many traders reporting their best year ever. The only downside was that a few had been so successful, they had sold out of produce by the Sunday.”
Councillor Annette Wingrave, Neath Port Talbot Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Sustainable Development, added: “As well as providing good business for visiting traders, this annual event also provides great benefit to local businesses who trade in the town all year round, and who embrace the Festival and lay on additional attractions and entertainment of their own.
“It also brings many visitors to Neath for the first time with these hopefully recognising the attractiveness and offer of the town and coming back for more visits.”
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Blas ar lwyddiant ar gyfer Gwyl Bwyd a Diod Castell-nedd 2018
Roedd Gwyl Bwyd a Diod Castell-nedd 2018, a gynhaliwyd rhwng 5 a 7 Hydref, yn llwyddiant ysgubol ac ymwelodd mwy na 60,000 o bobl â'r dref yn ystod y tridiau hynny.
Roedd Gwyl Bwyd a Diod Castell-nedd 2018, a gynhaliwyd rhwng 5 a 7 Hydref, yn llwyddiant ysgubol ac ymwelodd mwy na 60,000 o bobl â'r dref yn ystod y tridiau hynny.
Dathlodd y digwyddiad, a drefnwyd gan dîm Adfywio a Datblygu Economaidd Cyngor Castell-nedd Port Talbot, ei 10fed flwyddyn eleni ac roedd nifer yr ymwelwyr (60,000) 75% yn fwy na’r tridiau hynny yn yr wythnos flaenorol.
Roedd 62 o grefftwyr yn bresennol, gyda 77% ohonynt yn dod o Gymru, ac roedd 18% ohonynt yn fusnesau newydd a oedd wedi bod yn masnachu am lai na dwy flynedd.
Roedd ymwelwyr yn gallu mwynhau amrywiaeth o gynnyrch, gan gynnwys teisennau cwpan, cig byfflo a phob math o bethau eraill.
I ddathlu 10 mlynedd o'r wyl, cyflogodd y cyngor y pen-cogydd enwog Jean Christophe Novelli ddydd Sadwrn 6 Hydref, a roddodd ddau arddangosiad coginio am ddim yn Neuadd Gwyn ac yna treuliodd weddill ei amser yn ymweld â stondinau ac yn sgwrsio â masnachwyr a'r cyhoedd.
Ymwelodd hefyd â marchnad boblogaidd y dref, Marchnad Castell-nedd.
Nos Sadwrn, cyflwynodd ty bwyta Moruzzi ddigwyddiad roedd rhaid cael tocyn ar ei gyfer mewn partneriaeth â'r cyngor, "Noson yng nghwmni Jean-Christophe Novelli", a oedd hefyd yn llwyddiant gwych.
Rhoddodd preswylydd Castell-nedd Katie Davies, a gyrhaeddodd yr wyth olaf yng nghystadleuaeth Britain’s Best Home Cook, arddangosiad am ddim yn Neuadd Gwyn hefyd.
Pan oedd yn adrodd manylion am y digwyddiad llwyddiannus wrth aelodau Bwrdd Adfywio a Datblygu Cynaliadwy Cabinet Cyngor Castell-nedd Port Talbot ddydd Gwener, meddai Simon Brennan, Pennaeth Eiddo ac Adfywio’r awdurdod, "Mae'r wyl yn gadarnhad o'r gwaith cydweithredol rhwng y cyngor, y Cyngor Tref, Neath Inspired, Consortiwm Canol y Dref a Llywodraeth Cymru.
"Rhoddwyd y cynhwysion ar gyfer yr arddangosiadau gan fasnachwyr Marchnad Castell-nedd ac archfarchnad Morrisons. Yn ogystal â hynny, darparodd Park Lives, cynllun i annog pobl i fanteisio ar barciau lleol - adloniant a gweithgareddau i blant yng Ngerddi Victoria.
"Mae adborth o wyl eleni wedi bod yn eithriadol, gyda llawer o fasnachwyr yn dweud mai hon oedd eu blwyddyn orau erioed. Yr unig anfantais oedd y ffaith bod rhai wedi gwerthu eu cynnyrch i gyd erbyn dydd Sul gan eu bod wedi bod mor llwyddiannus."
Meddai’r Cynghorydd Annette Wingrave, Aelod Cabinet Cyngor Castell-nedd Port Talbot dros Adfywio a Datblygu Cynaliadwy, "Ynghyd â darparu busnes da ar gyfer masnachwyr allanol, mae'r digwyddiad blynyddol hwn hefyd yn darparu manteision gwych i fusnesau lleol sy'n masnachu yn y dref drwy gydol y flwyddyn ac sy’n cymryd rhan yn yr wyl ac yn trefnu eu hatyniadau a'u hadloniant ychwanegol eu hunain.
"Mae hi hefyd yn dod â llawer o ymwelwyr i Gastell-nedd am y tro cyntaf a gobeithio bydd y rhain yn gweld pa mor ddeniadol mae'r dref, ynghyd â’r hyn sydd ganddi i'w gynnig, ac yn dychwelyd.
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