Potato lovers were out in force on Saturday at the second annual Pembroke Potato Festival. The glorious weather was a welcome bonus and in addition, to over a ton of local new potatoes being sold on the day, shoppers were spoilt for choice with the wealth of top quality local produce on offer from the Pembroke Farmers Market producers who packed the Pembroke Town Hall venue. South Pembrokeshire Young Farmers cooked six different varieties of Pembrokeshire earlies for people to sample on the day and also took part in a Ready Steady Cook style cookery competition. The Young Farmers team of Gethin Llewellyn and Rachel Hughes were victorious against a team from Pembrokeshire College following a vote by the audience. These were not the only students taking part in the festival - over 200 pupils from six local schools have been growing potatoes and producing project work. The schools growing their crops in pots brought a selection of plants to show. When all their crops are harvested in a few weeks time the schools winner will be announced. Other highlights of the day were a series of cookery demonstrations in a professional-standard mobile kitchen by award-winning Welsh chef Nick Davies, a senior member of the Welsh Culinary Team, Circus Malarky who, in their own unique style revealed the secrets of potato juggling and local artists from Sand Palace Arts showed their versatility helping the youngsters create wonderful art work with potato stamps. The Pembroke Potato Festival was organised by Pembroke Farmers Market, a collaboration between Pembroke 21C Community Association and Pembroke Country Markets and was funded by the Welsh Assembly Government.
