Pembroke Farmers Market, famous for the innovative Pembroke Potato Festival is establishing a new Autumn Food Festival the first of which will be held in Pembroke Town Hall on the morning of Saturday, October 12.

The festival will showcase local and seasonal food from throughout the area. It will highlight other new developments in the market and the ongoing Pembroke Food project which include a community growing scheme in the garden of St. Oswald's House and a new Bread Club. There will be demonstrations from local chefs from Food at Williams in Pembroke Main Street, and The Stackpole Inn. A Low Carbon Cook Off competition, activities for children, talks questionnaires, competitions and prizes will provide a varied and exciting programme for anyone at all interested in good locally produced food.

The market is developing in exciting and innovative ways following receipt of a grant from Environment Wales. In order to widen the produce on offer and increase a sense of ownership of the market in the local community, a community stall is being established where local people can sell their surplus produce - fruit, vegetables, plants, seedlings, wood etc. In return for the proceeds, the members are asked to give time to help on the stall occasionally. They can also donate the proceeds to a charity or to help the market.

The café at the market has continued over the years serving freshly made coffee and other drinks along with cakes made by market stall holders. In the winter months, homemade soup has been served. The café will now be opened up to groups in the community to use to raise funds serving food made from local produce.

A long-wanted Bread Club was launched in September in Foundry House where the members learn bread baking from each other and may be able to serve fresh bread at Farmers Markets in the future. The bread club will be giving demonstrations and talks at the markets over the coming months but members will be baking live at the Festival.

So put October 12 in your diaries and come along to Pembroke Town Hall to see, taste and buy some of the best food in Wales.

For further information, look at the Foundry House Facebook page or e-mail [email protected]">[email protected]