GŴYL Fwyd Caernarfon is one of Wales’ largest food festivals, and in 2022 it’s estimated that 50,000 people attended the event.

To celebrate International Women’s Day, the festival has celebrated some of the women without whom the festival would have never been established.

Eleri Løvgreen, the festival’s secretary, is a former teacher at Ysgol y Faenol, Bangor.

She set up “Cymen”, a translation company in Caernarfon, alongside her friend Carolyn Iorwerth.

Eleri has lived in Caernarfon since 1982, and has cast her mind back to the festival’s beginnings.

She said: “Gŵyl Fwyd Caernarfon was Ann Hopcyn's idea originally.

“She’d attended a presentation given by one of the organisers of Newport’s Food Festival, and she invited him to give a presentation to Caernarfon’s Town Council.”

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Ann Hopcyn represents the Menai ward on Caernarfon Town Council.

A native of Abertridwr near Caerphilly, she has lived in Caernarfon since 1985 and has taught at Ysgol yr Hendre in the town, and at nearby Ysgol Gwaun Gynfi.

She was a lecturer on the primary teacher training course at Bangor University for 24 years.

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It was at an event regarding the regeneration of market towns that Ann got the inspirtation for the food festival.

In her own words: “I just thought to myself: ‘this could work in Caernarfon, we have plenty of food producers locally!’”

Eleri Løvgreen also represented the Menai ward of Caernarfon Town Council up until last year.

According to Eleri: “Following on from Ann’s idea, a well-attended public meeting was held, and in that meeting Nici Beech was elected chair of the festival.”

Nici Beech, the festival’s chair, is also a representative of Caernarfon Town Council.

She was born in Meliden, a village between Prestatyn and Dyserth in Denbighshire, and raised in Rhos-on-Sea and Trofarth, Llangernyw.

Nici was raised in an English-speaking family but attended Welsh-language schools and developed a keen interest in the Welsh rock scene.

She graduated from university with a law degree in 1992 before working in the TV industry and becoming Galeri Caernarfon’s artistic director in 2017.

Nici said: “I have volunteered myself to organise gigs, cultural events and festivals since I was a teenager, and I’m pretty sure that I was elected chair of Gŵyl Fwyd Caernarfon because of my experience organizing Gŵyl Arall, a cultural and artistic festival in Caernarfon.

“Our committee members are extremely dedicated and enjoy the hard work of organising the festival that takes place throughout the year.

“Things started off with a logo-designing competition for the festival.

“The festival was actually launched a year prior to the first festival being held, in a small event to award the winner of the logo competition.

“There was entertainment by Gwibdaith Heb Frân, which set the tone for the festival as a truly Welsh, local festival.

“Little did we know that the first festival, with 50 stalls and 10,000 visitors, would grow to the size it is now, and although we've learned a lot since then, I'm glad that the mood and the enthusiasm to collaborate continues.”

Gŵyl Fwyd Caernarfon takes place this year on Saturday, May 13, and the festival are currently calling for more volunteers.