The Royal Welsh Winter Fair is set to get underway on November 26 with the festive two-day event welcoming a special guest - Sophie, Countess of Wessex.

Her Royal Highness will visit the Royal Welsh Showground in Llanelwedd on the first day of the fair where she will pay a visit to the Winter Fair Taste Test competitions and the homecrafts and horticulture displays.

The Winter fair, regarded as one of the highlights of the British agricultural show calendar and attracts thousands of people every year, will be officially opened by Montgomeryshire farmer D Maurice Jones.

Making its debut this year is the Royal Welsh Winter Fair Taste Awards where chefs will cook the joints of lamb from 15 Welsh native breeds that have been born, raised and grass fed only in Wales, then it will be judged to find the best tasting breed.

 

Sophie, Countess of Wessex will visit the showground on Monday.

One of the new classes, introduced by the committee for this year is a Young Handlers Competition for seven to 12 year olds within the Sheep Section which will be judged by the 2018 President, Mr Tom Tudor and his wife, Ann, from Llanerfyl.

For the first time at the Winter Fair,the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society (RWAS) has launched a new competition for the most commercial viable cattle hide - the first competition of its kind in the UK. RWAS has joined forces with Hayley Hanson, a Powys entrepreneur and farmer who makes luxury leather products from sustainable Welsh leather, to judge the competition.

People will be flocking to watch Britain's best stockmen competing for the top prizes in the judging rings, and the food hall will be packed with the very best Welsh producers. The fair will host nearly 200 livestock classes, special awards and championships, with exhibitors expecting to enter from far and wide, all competing for their share of over £25,000 of total prize money up for grabs during the two-day event.

Christmas shoppers can explore the hundreds of tradestands, demonstrations and exhibitions showcasing the quality products ideal for Christmas gifts, and there will be late night shopping and a fireworks display on the Monday evening with free entry after 4pm.