OVER THE weekend, the people of Wrexham (and beyond) were treated to the ultimate feast (as the name of the particular event I'm talking about would suggest!).

I'm talking, of course, about the Wrexham Feast which returned to the city centre on Saturday and Sunday (September 23 and 24).

The two-day festival once again transformed Waterworld Car Park in the city centre into a foodie frenzy, showcasing more than 90 traders from north Wales and beyond.

4,500 people turned up on the Saturday alone, but I was one of those who attended on the Sunday, turning up early to watch hundreds more begin to pile in through the main gate to try out some fantastic food.

After working my way around the impressive array of stalls on show, it was time to decide what to eat (and it was a difficult choice to make too given all the options).

However, in the end, I opted for one of the mouth-watering chicken options offered by the I Love Piri Piri team. To say it was incredible was an understatement.

The Leader:

The blend of piri, piri chicken, peppers and onions is always  a go-to for me and mixed in with some chips it's the perfect combo to keep you from going hungry. A solid 8/10 food from the I Love Piri Piri team (pictured above).

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To wash it down, I found a real local gem in among the alcohol stalls and with Wrexham Lager needing no introduction whatsoever, I thought I would try my hand at something different. 

I made my way to the Beech Avenue Brewery stall where I met Melissa Chamberlain and Brian Hardman, whose business is based on the Rhosddu Industrial Estate.

I tried samples of both a golden ale and a pale ale from them and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to drink, light and delicious. That wouldn't usually be my cup of tea (or rather go to pint) but it was a lovely alternative to the lager I'd usually drink.

The Leader: Bottoms up! Beech Avenue Brewery's golde ale was lovely.

Whilst at Wrexham Feast, I tried many a sample (and also bought from) several dedicated local businesses.

I made my way over to the 'Bevsbeenbaking' stall where I met Beverley Patterson-Jones, Hermione Tudor and the adorable Skid!

Bev's range of homemade, handcrafted cakes and bakes were a sight to behold - with ingredients for some of the jams on show even being freshly grown at home.

The Leader: Ryan Reynolds even paid a visit to the Bevsbeenbaking stall where he met Beverley Patterson-Jones,

Hermione, Bev and Skid were joined by Ryan Reynolds (kind of!).

The Leader:

I tried out some of their heavenly strawberries and cream fudge, recommended by Bev herself. It was absolutely delicious and tasted a lot like those old white chocolate mice I used to have when I was a kid. Nostalgic!

Another one of the standout treats was the olives provided by the Araxos Foods team.

Again, I'm not usually a fan of olives but I thought I'd be brave and try one. Then one, led to two and two led to three as they were honestly that addictive. Their different options of chili-coated olives, mango-smothered olives and more were to die for.

The Leader: Turns out I actually do like olives (if they're covered in something!)

It's so cliche to say, but there really was something for everyone to enjoy at this year's Wrexham Feast.

Whether you were after a full meal, a sneaky snack or a pint or two - or even a vegan option to enjoy - guests almost certainly wouldn't have left empty-handed, or empty-bellied for that matter.

You can check out my TikTok video of my visit to Wrexham Feast via our TikTok page below ...

@leaderlive_ The Wrexham Feast has been a great success once again this year, with thousands turning up both today and yeaterday to support the event. Reporter Arron Evans went along this morning to try out some tasty treats (and quench the thirst!) … 🍗 🍺 #foodfestival #wrexham #food ♬ Time for Cooking - Vin Music

Overall, I would say the feast is well worth a visit. I'm from Anglesey myself, so I regularly visit the nearby Caernarfon Food Festival when that comes to the town.

This is Wrexham's answer to that and is a great way of helping put those local businesses on the map - particularly with Wrexham enjoying so much of the spotlight at this moment in time through the football club.