Pro le - A Royal Welcome

Jewel in the Crown

The Royal Welsh Show is often regarded as the jewel in the crown of the UK when it comes to agricultural events, but what is it that makes the July extravaganza quite so special? We spoke to Assistant Honorary Director of the Food Hall, Clive Alexander, for a food-centric brief history and roundup of this most famous of Welsh shows.

Along with the obvious fantastic livestock, the show aims to provide something to interest everyone through its wide range of activities including forestry, horticulture, cra s, countryside sports, food and drink and a 12-hour programme each day of exciting entertainment, attractions and displays.

When and where was the rst Royal Welsh Show held and why do you think it’s remained popular for the people of Wales? How have you seen the show evolve over the years in the time that you’ve been involved in the running?

“During this period the show has made great strides forward and continues to go from strength to strength implementing change and developing new concepts. Keeping pace with new technologies has been a key driver and continues to be a challenge. Major improvements have also been made to the infrastructure and facilities for members.

e Food Hall has established a reputation for showcasing the very best of Welsh food and drink products and this never fails to attract huge numbers of visitors throughout the show period. We have also been very keen to encourage new and emerging Welsh businesses to exhibit in the Food Hall and in this regard we are indebted to Cywain who have encouraged and supported these on their journey.”

“ e rst Royal Welsh Show was held in Aberystwyth in 1904 and it remained in the Ceredigion town until 1910. e event then moved between a number of di erent venues before settling on its permanent site in Llanelwedd in 1963. It is evident from the large numbers of people who attend the show annually that there is a great pride amongst them and they regard it as "their show". It's the highlight of the agricultural calendar and has become an integral part of Welsh culture. Of course its central location helps enormously with the logistics, with Llanelwedd being easily reached from most parts of Wales, and having plenty of nearby accommodation.

Today, the role of the modern Royal Welsh Show is a rounded one. As well as its principal function of showcasing the cream of Welsh livestock and the high quality food and drink produced in Wales, it encompasses the wider spectrum of farming and rural life and successfully bridges the gap between town and country.”

What makes the relationship between the Welsh people and their food and drink industry so special?

“Welsh people are passionate about their country and this also extends to the food/drink it produces. Consumers in Wales value the quality, sustainability and provenance of Welsh food and drink, and increasingly have come to appreciate the importance of having local suppliers and businesses.

e food and drink sector is an integral part of the Welsh economy and its communities, boosting employment and featuring prominently in the travel and tourism industry. e “Welsh identity” has an important role in Welsh food and drink products. It can be used to tell the story of Wales, and enables producers to di erentiate their products from those of their competitors.”

e last couple of years have been di cult for many - how much of a challenge has it been to bounce back from the pandemic?

“Like all other organisations and businesses, the Society has not been immune from the e ects of the pandemic, having to cancel two Royal Welsh Shows, and the Smallholding and Countryside Festival and Winter Fair, so e ectively cutting o all our income streams.

is was a signi cant loss and would have been even more disastrous were it not for the considerable economic assistance provided by the Welsh Government through the various support measures. at has meant that the Society is in good heart going forward and planning is well under way for what will hopefully be a bumper 2022 show, and the return of all the other activities and events which take place on the showground.”

Give us a taste of what’s to come at this year’s show - what are some examples of the food and drink on o er?

“We would normally expect to have about 60 exhibitors in the Food Hall and this year will be no exception. We are extremely fortunate in Wales that we have a huge number of food and drink businesses who produce excellent quality foodstu s, many of whom are renowned award winners.

All the exhibitors either produce, process or manufacture their products in Wales and priority is given to those who utilise Welsh agricultural products in their process. e public can therefore expect to see some of the nest cheeses, mouth-watering confectionery, a range of ice creams and dairy products, succulent meat products and pies, and drinks both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, together with other speciality foods.”

What other sorts of things are there to see and do at this year’s show – are there activities for all the family to enjoy?

“ e Show is an action-packed four-day event of exciting competitions, livestock, forestry, horticulture, cra s, countryside sports, shopping, food and drink, a 12-hour programme of non-stop entertainment, attractions, displays and much more. is year the show highlights the hugely popular King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery team who will return to the main ring to perform their Musical Drive.

Also performing are the Falcons Parachute Display Team with their exciting free fall display at speeds up to 120mph, and Paul Hannam returns with his thrilling and popular Quad Bike Stunt Show.”

What are your hopes for this year’s show and those for future events – are you trying to perfect an existing formula or looking to expand further?

“Our main focus for this year's show is to ensure that we can return to normality whereby the show public can experience the same quality of exhibitors which they have become accustomed to seeing when they enter the Food Hall. at said however, we are always on the lookout for new and exciting innovative producers and I am con dent we will have a good number of those displaying their products.

Although it’s not accessible to the general public, the rst oor area of the Food Hall is a dedicated Business Lounge, which houses a display of over 1000 Welsh food and drink products. e Lounge is sponsored and hosted by the Welsh Government who invite buyers from across the UK to come and meet the producers, see and sample the products with a view to establishing commercial arrangements. is has proven to be very successful in the past with a considerable amount of new business being generated. We will build on this to ensure that we maximise the opportunity for Welsh products to become even more widely available to a larger number of consumers.”

e Royal Welsh Show will be held on 18-21 July 2022 at the showground in Llanelwedd.