and chocolate FOOD NEWS A few newsy nibbles for you to chew on

TASTY BITES A few foodie news morsels for you to chew on…

Sri Lankan delights await

YOU’RE THE WINE THAT I WANT

Welcome Wine Fiend, a new online wine supplier in Llandaff .

“We specialise in sustainable wines, mainly organic, biodynamic and natural,” says Dean Euden, director. “We sell wines from smaller producers that care about how they interact with the environment. These are wines which you won’t fi nd in the supermarket and some you will struggle to fi nd anywhere at all in the UK.

“The near-future plan is to do pop-up bars around Cardiff in collaboration with some of the many amazing food businesses we have in the city. The idea is to get people trying thesewines in the most fun and interactive way possible. There may even be a wine and movie night down the road…” For more: www.winefi end.co.uk

FESTIVE FEASTING To keep spirits high through the festive period and beyond, Sri Lankan street food restaurant The Coconut Tree, on Mill Lane, will off er 50 per cent off their entire eat-in menu and all non-alcoholic drinks, Monday to Wednesday until the end of January.

Their traditional Christmas menu will have a South Asian, island-inspired twist – think split sprouts with cashews, spicy devilled pigs in blankets, and beetroot pancakes with cranberry relish – and will be coupled with a laid-back, convivial atmosphere.

“In the UK, Sri Lankan food is not as widely available or understood as, say, Indian or Chinese cuisine, and we want to help change that,” says brand director Anna Garrod. “Eat Out to Help Out gave people the confi dence to try new things; we want to build on that momentum by extending the off er.” For more: www.thecoconut-tree.com

BOTTLED IT

Lab Bottling Company (LBC) is a newly launched arm of the Lab 22 cocktail bar in Cardiff ’s city centre. They’ve released a range of cocktails – from Mulled Negronis to Diamond Grasshoppers – made in-house by the team. “We wanted to be able to bring Lab to your living rooms,” says Max Hayward of LBC. “We’ve diluted each drink to the perfect level using a variety of teas, meaning that the drinks are ready to enjoy straight from fridge to Shake that glass. We have stuck to our ethos of collaborating with local independents by sourcing the tea from Cardiff ’s Waterloo Tea – we believe that it’s more important now than ever to support indies.” For more: www.lab-bottling-company.myshopify.com

ONE TO TRY We can’t wait to indulge in The Ivy Cardiff’s Christmas cocktail menu. www.theivycardiff.com

FOR THE FUND OF IT

St Canna’s Ale House, on Llandaff Road, is crowdfunding to raise money for a pergola in their beer garden.

“Covid has hit all hospitality businesses hard,” says James Karran, owner and landlord of St Canna’s. “A pergola will create a viable all-yearround seating space in the beer garden, allowing us to welcome more customers and ensuring they are comfortable and safe.”

The crowdfunder is running until 7 December, and they’re aiming to raise at least £12,000. For more: www.crowdfunder.co.uk/help-st-cannas-survive-the-virus

Join the St Canna crowd

KEEP YOUR GIN UP Family-run Wally’s Delicatessen in Royal Arcade has launched its own gin – Wally’s Apple Strudel Gin – in homage to the business’s late founder, Wally Salamon

“My father’s parents emigrated from Poland in the 1920s and settled in Austria where they ran a general store,” says Steven Salamon, Wally’s son, who now owns the deli. “In 1939, they emigrated from Austria as refugees and came to Cardiff , bringing just a handful of possessions and a few family recipes. They opened a delicatessen which was later to become Wally’s. This gin is an authentic taste of Austria in a glass. The label shows a grainy image of Wally and his brothers sitting outside the general store in Austria which their parents ran.” Find the gin at Wally’s Liquor Cellar, in Cardiff ’s Castle Arcade, which sells an extensive range of craft whiskies, gins, rums, beers craft whiskies, gins, rums, beers and wines. and wines. For more: www.wallysdeli.co.uk For more: www.wallysdeli.co.uk

The apple strudel fl avour strudel fl avour gin is, says gin is, says Wally’s son, an Wally’s son, an authentic taste authentic taste of Austria in of Austria in a glass a glass DISCOVER DELICIOUS We all know the value of shopping local, so we’ve scoured Discover Delicious – the largest online collection of Welsh food and drink – to share some of our favourite indie brands from the site who are based in and near to Cardiff. For more: www.discoverdelicious.wales

SAVEG Pies Frustrated by a lack of dinner options in the local supermarket, Maria Marling and Marysia Thompson created their own veggie pie offering. Earl’s Kitchen Jamaica-born Earl arrived in Cardiff as a teen and began his career in the catering industry, and he went on to create Barbados Sauce to bring a little sunshine to your plate.

The Welsh Cheese Co The company’s aim is to champion Wales’ talented cheese producers. Their Cheese Lover’s Gift Box is the perfect gift for a foodie.

Hard Lines Coffee This small, artisan coffee shop and roastery is passionate about keeping things fresh and fun, and they deliver straight to your door. Grande.

Hensol Castle Distillery This is South Wales’ only full-scale gin distillery and bottling plant – based in cellars of the historic Hensol Castle – which also offers visitor experiences and a gin school. Infusion 73 From this smallbatch distillery on the outskirts of the city centre comes Jin Caerdydd, crafted with botanicals found in the Cardiff area.

The Parsnipship Unique vegetarian and vegan food is The Parsnipship’s game. Their tasty treats can be found at farmers markets, food fairs, festivals and events all over the country.

Handcrafted Horsebox A mobile bar company that delivers Welsh produce. Their Festive Spice Kits can be used to turn red wine, cider or even apple juice into a mulled treat.

SamosaCo Their secret Indian snack recipes have passed generations of taste testing. Their onion bhajee Scotch eggs are an interesting must-try. Calon Lân Cakes They specialise in traditional bakes, and their Make Your Own Welsh Cakes kit allows you to recreate their famed recipe at home.