Seashore foraging picnics at some of the most stunning beaches in Wales, celebrity chefs demos, and learning to fish – just a few of the events which make Pembrokeshire Fish Week one of the most popular festivals in the country.
Voted number one in VisitBritain.com’s top 10 food festivals, Pembrokeshire Fish Week is devoted to celebrating freshly-landed fish and shellfish, the spectacular local coastline, and the county’s maritime heritage.
From June 23rd to July 1st, the festival attracts thousands of visitors keen to enjoy some of the 250-plus activities throughout the county – from beach and river walks to snorkel safaris, harbour fun days, and lots more.
And for foodies, there are lots of opportunities to tuck into the freshest seabass, mackerel, crab, or lobster – enjoy seafood extravaganzas, paella suppers, fish tapas nights and many more.
New this year is a celebrity masterclass demonstration featuring some of the British culinary world’s most highly regarded chefs at the Torch Theatre in Milford Haven.
Confirmed to date are Bryn Williams, winner of the BBC’s Great British Menu, Alyn Williams, Michelin-acclaimed proprietor of The Westbury in Mayfair, and Anthony Evans, presenter of S4C’s ‘Stwffio’ cookery programme.
The chefs will be fishing and diving for sustainable seafood off the Pembrokeshire coast, and transforming it later that day into inspiring dishes in a masterclass in front of a theatre audience. ‘A fair fish for a fare dish’, the evening will be presented by food writer and broadcaster Simon Wright.
Also new this year is the chance to learn about Indian fish cookery from acclaimed Kerala-born cookery star Anand George, founder of Cardiff’s New Purple Poppadom.
Anand will be holding two Indian fish curry masterclasses, and presenting an Indian fish cookery demonstration at Pembrokeshire Fish Week’s opening day at Milford Haven Marina.
Young chefs can also enjoy learning to cook with fish in new cookery demos this year at Folly Farm adventure park with ‘Ant and Al’. S4C presenters Anthony Evans and Alun Williams will be dishing up family-friendly recipes and plenty of fishy fun.
Pembrokeshire Fish Week opens with a great day for families and food-lovers at Milford Haven Marina on Saturday, June 23rd, with lots of activities, demonstrations, food, craft and produce stalls, drop-in music and art workshops and live entertainment. The day will feature a new pop up restaurant featuring a selection of top local restaurants, and a live music stage.
For the first time, guided tours will be available aboard the heritage tug ‘Brocklebank’ from Merseyside. The tug escorted the Royal Yacht Britannia into the Mersey and pushed and pulled countless liners, warships freighters and tankers around the docks.
Pembrokeshire Fish Week will close with a new Saundersfoot Harbour ‘Festival of the Sea’ on Sunday, July 1st.
Simon Wright said he was impressed by the ‘sheer breadth of activities’ in Pembrokeshire Fish Week.
“Fish Week is an example of how food festivals can achieve something dynamic that adds richness and character to the culture of an area,” he said. “Above all it highlights the rich harvest available off the Welsh coast.”
The award-winning Pembrokeshire Fish Week, now in its 12th year, is organised by Pembrokeshire County Council.
Valentine’s day is swiftly approaching, how about taking your loved one on an unforgettable adventure…..Coasteering!
Take the plunge together……
Wriggle into a wetsuit, fasten up your buoyancy and helmet, don the toasty warm gloves, hood and socks, listen to the safety brief and your ready to go!
Take a romantic scramble along a stunning stretch of the Pembrokeshire coast, when the rocks run out jump in…..jumps start small with belly flops, cannon balls, gradually getting higher, for the more adventurous – take on the butterfly inducing cliff jumps up to 45ft!
Explore caves…you’ll get to see normally inaccessible stretchs of the stunning Pembrokeshire coast.
Feel the raw power of the ocean in the various water features, including the washing machine, toilet flush, tumble drier.
Celtic Quest are running daily Coasteering adventures throughout Valentine’s week
Fall for each other…….later
Don’t fancy getting wet just yet?
No problem, our Coasteering Experience Gift Vouchers are valid for 12 months, giving you the flexibility of boooking a date of your choice later in the year (subject to availability).
The Atlantic Grey Seal, Halichoeurus grypus – meaning “hooked nose sea pig”, is a very common visitor to the Pembrokeshire Coast and many Celtic Quest groups have been treated to a cheeky seal popping up, gazing at us as if to say ” what manner of creature are you?”.
The Atlantic Grey is a medium sized seal with larger bulls sometimes reaching up to 4m and weighing in excess of 300kg. Female grays (cows) are much smaller. An average cow would be 150 to 200kg and typically no more than 2m long. Greys are quite wasy to distinguish from common seals but their wide set nostrils and a “straight head profile”. Grey seals also have a lot less white spots than common seals.
Diet
Atlantic Grey Seals have a varied diet. Mostly consisting of fish species such as flatfish, herring and in some areas skate. The grey will largely eat whatever it can get its flippers on, including octopus, lobster and cuttlefish.
On average an atlantic seal eats up to 5kg daily, except females during breeding season, who fast for the duration.
Conservation Status
Atlantic greys are enjoying something of a renaisance, numbers are growing in nearly all colonies throughout its range of the northern Atlantic.
IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) classifies Atlantic Grey Seals as at low risk “least concern” of extinction.
In fact there have been some calls for a cull from fishermen, claiming stocks have been depleted due to seal feeding.
The team at Celtic Quest love the fact that we are allowed a glimpse of these beautiful mammals. And are happy to share our playground with them.
12 Professional cliff diving athletes may get the chance to sample the delights of the Pembrokeshire’s Blue Lagoon at Abereiddy as part of the world series cliff diving championships in 2012.
Red Bull, who organise the event have been in discussion with the Outdoor Charter group, National Trust, Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, CCW and Pembrokeshire County Council to determine if the Blue Lagoon could be a new venue on the world circuit. If the event goes ahead it will be held on the 7th and 8th September.
Celtic Quest Coasteering were over the moon to be finalists at the 2011 IWA Western Mail Business Awards, congratulations to the Creative Marketing Award winner Nolan UPVC.
The team attended the award ceremony held at The Coal Exchange in Cardiff. Check out the photos on Facebook….. as with Coasteering, its all about looking good out there kids
Look, not a wetsuit in sight !!
Oh yeah and we met various celebs inc the Go Compare dude and weather man Derek Brockway, hmmmmmmmmm
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