Street Food Circus returns this spring, bringing Forest Feastival back to its unique woodland site behind the dunes at Merthyr Mawr. For six weekends in April and May – including three bank holiday Mondays – the outdoor street food court will be pitching up among the trees at Candleston Woods.
Now in its third year, Forest Feastival is bringing back a mix of street food favourites from previous events, and some new ventures from some of Wales’ most exciting chefs. To help visitors experience the widest possible range of dishes and flavours, most of the street food vendors will be offering £5 taster dishes alongside their usual menus.
Forest Feastival favourites returning this year include British Street Food award-winners, Fire & Flank and Keralan Karavan along with Bao Selecta, Smokin’ Griddle, Nomad Kitchen, Rock & Scallop, Mr Noodle and Bare Bones Pizza.
The team behind some of Cardiff’s most successful recent restaurant launches, including Nook and Kindle, are bringing two new street food concepts to Forest Feastival this spring. Pot Heads comes from the fire-inspired kitchen of Kindle, bringing baked, smoked and fried potatoes stacked with creative flavour combinations. The same team are also launching a new chicken wing pop-up, The Fried Chicken Chronicles, exclusively at Forest Feastival.
Also popping up for the launch weekend (7-9 April), Lee Skeet is bringing his newly opened Jackson’s Oyster Bar to the woods. Jackson’s recently opened as Cardiff’s first dedicated oyster bar, soon to be joined by Skeet’s restaurant Cora.
Two new areas will be created using the woodland cabins and forest clearings this year.
The Mexican Cabana & Terrace will bring together street food from Sin Nombre Tacos, El Cabron Tacos and Rock & Scallop seafood, drinks from Loco Tequilas, sweet treats from newcomers Church of Churros and music from guest DJs.
A new sweet zone – Dessert Island Disco – will be home to Forest Feastival favourites Pwdin and, for the first time, Ammanford’s Coaltown coffee roasters. Street Food Circus mixologists will be creating a new Harlequin Cocktail Bar with premium mixed drinks and Welsh spirits, including a Coaltown Espresso Martini.
Forest Feastival’s main bar will be taken over by Tiny Rebel this year, bringing locally-brewed favourites including Clwb Tropicana, Cali Pale and Lager 313. New for this year, visitors will also be able to pre-book Tiny Rebel cans as part of their ticket package. Tiny Rebel will also be running the Tiny Rebel Fire Pit, with guest chefs popping up to cook during the run.
Also on the bar will be Mydflower, a hand-made elderflower sparkling wine made in the Brecon Beacons.
Street Food Circus founder and ringmaster Matt the Hat said:
“We keep building the experience at this unique site. We’re back with new themed zones for food, drinks and music, lots of our award-winning regular traders and some of the best chefs around choosing Forest Feastival to launch creative new pop-ups.
“I’m excited to welcome Tiny Rebel to the Street Food Circus too – it means we can offer an all-Welsh line up of beers on the bar, alongside Welsh wines and spirits like Mydflower and Coaltown’s Coffee Liqueur.
“In spring it’s a great day out. You can spend the day walking the Glamorgan heritage coastline or explore the Merthyr Mawr dunes, then join the Circus in the woods for the best street food trucks and chefs from around Wales and beyond. Bring the kids to toast marshmallows over the fire and learn circus skills by day, or join us for chilled out DJ sessions and cocktails after dark,” he said.
Tickets this year have been held at 2022 prices – £5+VAT & booking fee per person, with kids free – and include a Forest Feastival reusable cup for use at the bar. Tickets must be bought in advance from forestfeastival.com and are on pre-sale (for SFC newsletter subscribers) now. Tickets go on general sale from Monday 6 March.
Dates & Times
- April: Friday 7 – Monday 10 (Good Friday, BH Monday)
- April: Friday 14 – Sunday 16
- April: Friday 21- Sunday 23
- April: Friday 28 – Monday 1 May (BH Monday)
- May: Friday 5 – Monday 8 (BH Monday)
- May: Friday 12 – Sunday 14
- Good Friday – 11am – 3pm; 3pm – 7pm; 7pm – 10:30pm
- Fridays – 6pm – 10:30pm (adult only session)
- Saturdays – 11am – 3pm (dogs allowed); 3pm – 7pm; 7pm – 10:30pm
- Sundays – 11pm – 4pm (dogs allowed), 4pm – 8:30pm
- Sundays (Bank Holiday weekends) 11am – 3pm (dogs allowed); 3pm – 7pm; 7pm – 10:30pm
- Bank Holiday Mondays – 11pm – 4pm, 4pm – 8:30pm
Location
Candleston Woods, Merthyr Mawr, Bridgend CF32 0LS
