Beth Heath: Piggy magic at food fest takes a lot of planning
Great food isn't just about sitting down to dinner in restaurants. Nor does it have to be all stuffy and serious. My approach to food is simple – it should be fun and it should get people talking.
I've worked in food all my adult life. I grew up on a smallholding and since leaving Harper Adams College, in Newport, I've worked in farm shops, run food festivals and launched a number of successful small businesses.
Tens of thousands of you will visit food festivals this summer. There are huge events in Birmingham, near Wolverhampton and across Shropshire. They are particularly popular in Shrewsbury and Ludlow and lots of people from the Black Country and Staffordshire head over to enjoy the best of local food.
You might think it's far too early to be thinking about those events right now. After all, we've not yet celebrated Valentine's Day or Easter. But the planning started a long time ago and you'd be amazed at the work that goes into them.
Take Shrewsbury Food Festival, which I co-own. It was launched in 2013 and welcomed more than 10,000 visitors.
It took place in The Quarry Park and one of the most popular aspects of the event was a collection of farm animals, including a cow and calf and a sow and her piglets. Children and adults alike spent hours and hours watching Mother Nature at her best, asking questions of the livestock owners and learning about the lives the animals would lead.
But they don't arrive by chance. We work with the breeders to make sure the animals are born in time to come to the festival.
The pigs were supplied by a farmer and author, Sam Gray, who lives near Church Stretton. Sam's sow is called Mabel and she was the subject of a chldren's book, Mabel's Surprise, that was published just before Christmas.
In the past week or so, Mabel has been cosying up to Dave, a boar who's taken quite a shine to her. If everything goes to plan, Mabel and Dave will be looking forward to a litter of piglets at the start of June. And that means all the festival visitors will be able to see them when they come to the event.
Mabel doesn't seem to mind. And Dave's got the biggest smile I've ever seen!
Shrewsbury Food Festival runs on June 28 and 29. For more details visit www.shrewsburyfoodfestival.co.uk
