The Vaynol Estate in Bangor, North Wales welcomed GWCT’s first Welsh Game Fair on the 9-11 September 2022, where 10,000 visited the inaugral three day event. On the opening day of the event, a gun salute took place to celebrate the life of Her Majesty The Queen followed by a two-minute silence in her memory.
As well as showcasing fishing, clay shooting, gundogs, game cookery, falconry, horses and hounds, as well as rural crafts, bushcraft, food and drink, visitors were treated to a wide range of attractions, displays, live debates, shopping at hundreds of trade stands and family entertainment, all with a countryside theme.
Due to it’s success, the organisers, Stable Events, have now confirmed that the Welsh Game Fair will return to The Vaynol Estate, Bangor next year for a two day event 9-10 September (get your tickets here).
“The Welsh Game Fair came to life with its own personality and nuances delivering a special event from which to build,” commented Stable Events’ managing director James Gower, adding: “The location was outstanding, the perfect blank canvas on which to showcase the best of Welsh countryside and tradition. We look forward to next year and have some future surprises in store so watch this space!”
The event was also an important platform for the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust in Wales (GWCT Cymru) showcasing our work into research and science and bringing it to life to all those interested in conservation, biodiversity and farming.
The chairman of GWCT Cymru, Owen Williams, added: “We are delighted that our close collaboration with Stable Events over the past year has produced a great game fair for Wales. At a time of significant instability and change in the countryside it is vital that the rural community comes together to celebrate and showcase the many interdependent strands of life in the countryside. We are very grateful to the wonderful Vaynol estate for hosting this inaugural GWCT Welsh Game Fair which we are sure has secured its place in the calendar of the Welsh countryside.”
Owen added: “In addition to a celebration of fishing, shooting, farming and habitat management seen over the three days, the wide and varied debates held at our ‘GWCT Nick Williams Theatre’ demonstrated the willingness of all sectors of the rural community to engage in meaningful and constructive dialogue. We look forward to working with our partners to build upon the success of this first show and to secure a lasting event that the Welsh countryside can be truly proud of.”
Vaynol Hall owner Keith Jones concluded: “From start to finish, Stable Events have been fantastic to partner with, which is unsurprising when you look at their incredible portfolio. I have received nothing but positive feedback and I’m delighted the event went so well. The atmosphere all weekend was upbeat and buoyant. The people of North Wales have wanted their own game fair for a long time.”
Early bird tickets for the 2023 Welsh Game Fair are now on sale here.
Lee Oliver, Head of Projects at GWCT Cymru interviewed Bryn Williams during the 2022 Game Fair. Hear more from Bryn what’s important to him and why he loves cooking game:
“I love cooking the different types of game during the winter; it’s beautiful. In this day and age, when people are talking about carbon footprints, sustainability and land use, I think game ticks every single box.
“It’s a sustainable, local source of food from great land where farmers do an amazing job. What more could you want? Quality game goes hand in hand with great land, hedgerows, woodland and rivers.”
"Dwi wrth fy modd yn coginio'r gwahanol fathau o gig gêm yn ystod y gaeaf; mae'n hyfryd. Yn yr oes sydd ohoni, pan mae pobl yn siarad am ôl troed carbon, cynaliadwyedd a defnydd tir, dwi'n meddwl bod cig gêm yn ticio pob un o’r blychau hyn.
"Mae'n ffynhonnell fwyd cynaliadwy a lleol, o dir gwych ble mae ffermwyr yn gwneud gwaith anhygoel. Beth mwy fyddech chi ei angen? Mae cig gêm o ansawdd da yn mynd law yn llaw â thiroedd, gwrychoedd, coetiroedd ac afonydd gwych."
In Welsh/Yn Gymraeg: