The taste buds of shoppers in Cardiff will be put to the test on Saturday as a festival celebrating the best of Welsh food and drink gets under way.

The three-month event is part of a Welsh Development Agency (WDA) drive to promote products made in Wales.

This is an exciting time for the food and drink industry in Wales Wynfford James, Welsh Development Agency

Organisers hope to build on crowds of about 100,000 who attended the event in the Hayes area of the city centre last year.

The Blas festival, which means "taste" in Welsh, will feature guest appearances by chefs cooking on a state-of-the-art culinary stage.

The event in the Old Library runs until mid-March and is expected to draw people from across the UK.

Wynfford James, WDA agri-food director, said: "During the three months, we are targeting people from inside and outside Wales.

Gold medal-winning chef Colin Gray will attend

"This event is a hands-on opportunity for people to come and taste for themselves how good Welsh food and drink is.

"We held a similar event last year, when over 100,000 people came through the doors of the Old Library, and this year we have even more to show off.

"This is an exciting time for the food and drink industry in Wales," he added.

Food winners

The festival also boasts a showcase area which will feature details of the winners of the first True Taste Food and Drink awards, held in November 2002.

Winners included the Welsh Whisky Company, Anglesey Sea Salt, Graig Farm Organics, South Caernarfon Creameries and Trebersed Farm Yoghurts.

The Blas event also includes a food photography exhibition, a Welsh cheese area and a cyberzone section.

The opening day of the festival will feature a demonstration by Colin Gray, the vice-captain of the Welsh culinary team which returned from the recent Culinary World Cup in Luxembourg with seven gold medals.

The event will be open from 11am to 5pm, Tuesday to Sunday, until mid-March.