taste.blas magazine - issue 20

PRIME CUTS

March-May

Wales’ finest charcuterie and cured meats

PLUM-BELIEVABLE

The Vale of Clwyd beckons

WELSH ICONS

Legendary Food and Drink through the ages

Publisher’s Letter

Investing For the Future

With St David’s Day providing the inspiration for this issue’s feature on the produce and businesses that have shaped Wales’ food and drink landscape over the centuries (starting with our patron Saint’s penchant for leeks), it’s clear that it can take many years of toil, and not a little inspiration, to create produce that de nes a nation. Historically, despite our country’s natural bounty, it hasn’t been an easy journey. e privations of the past, as Jon Gower has alluded to in his column, have meant that pickings have, at times, been slim. It’s a blessing then that we’re living in an era where our food and drink scene has fully emerged from the shadow of this distant past, to be celebrated and to create a revived lexicon of Welsh food and drink. is is thanks in no small part to our lush landscape, the passion and skill of our artisans and last, but not least, the supportive environment in which these producers exist. e advice and nancial help o ered by Food and Drink Wales and a liated organisations has enabled a multitude of businesses to start and continue a journey that could yet lead to iconic status. is support also enables them to fully exploit and

leverage the world of commercial nance and in our main feature on investment, we see how businesses, big and small, have been able to take giant steps forward. Steps that others can take too – so if you’re thinking of starting your own food and drink business, or want to move forward with an existing one, please take a look.

But there is another way in which we, as consumers or trade, can invest in the future of Welsh food and drink. By buying local produce. And, by doing so, we’ll also be investing in our communities, in Welsh jobs, in our health and well-being, and that of our planet, thanks to the sustainable nature of our produce. So, next time you have a choice of what to buy, make sure it’s Welsh – you may be buying a future icon.

Paul Mulligan Publisher

EDITORIAL

Contributors: Jon Gower, Myfanwy Alexander, Jack Tilson, Mike Lewis, Caroline Sarll, Sarah Morgan, Jonno Mack, Louisa Harry-Thomas, Abigail Saltmarsh

Admin: Karen Kelly

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Publisher: Paul Mulligan

Tel: 029 2019 0224, sales@conroymedia.co.uk

PRODUCTION

Designer: James Meredith

Sub-editor: Paul Spencer

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taste.blas Magazine is published by Conroy Media Ltd, ©Conroy Media 2024. All rights reserved. This publication may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form in whole or in part without the written permission of the publishers. Whilst every care has been taken in the preparation of this magazine, the publishers can not be held responsible for the accuracy of the information herein, or any consequence arising from it. The views expressed in taste.blas are not necessarily those of the editor or the publishers. www.taste-blas.co.uk

Front cover image courtesy of Hybu Cig Cymru/ Meat Promotion Wales

Iconservation

8 e produce preserving Wales’ food and drink heritage

Curated Meats

A ne collection of cured cuts and charcuterie

Growth Funds

On a quest to invest in your foodie business? Start here.

From Fork to Plate

12

16

25 Pitchfork and Cywain serve up a treat

Clued Up

We’re heading to e Vale of Clwyd

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Regulars

Breaking Bread 6

Jon Gower muses on some austere Welsh food traditions

Restaurant Reviews

A bank and a post o ce? Absolutely.

Celebrate Good Times

Reasons to be cheerful for Caroline

Hold the Front Page

31

36

39 e latest news hot o the press

Recipes

We have some fun with lollipops and brownies

Finger Lickin’ Treats

Let our food and drink reviews tickle your taste buds

Gadget Queen

Myfanwy can’t ‘reign’ in her love of kitchen contraptions

42

46

50

Jon Gower

Nostalgic nosh

Jon Gower looks at some parsimonious Welsh food traditions

Saints aren’t usually troubled by the sin of gluttony, although St Augustine was a notable exception: as he argued “Whenever a man takes more meat and drink than is necessary, he should know that this is one of the lesser sins.”

None of this dietary moralising would have troubled our patron saint, St David. His was a notably frugal diet as both he and his monks followed a simple, austere life. ey ploughed the elds by hand, rather than resorting to using oxen, and refrained from eating meat or drinking beer. St David himself was reputed to have subsisted on nothing more substantial than leeks and water – which possibly explains how the leek became a national symbol of Wales and a staple ingredient in cawl.

Now you’d have thought you could hardly have a simpler diet than St David, that is until you nd out there’s an old Welsh recipe for bread and water, the sort of thing you’d imagine only being served in prison or in a workhouse. Yet in the Banwy valley in north Montgomeryshire it was served up for breakfast. Right then, pen and paper at the ready, here’s the recipe in full:

1. Break the bread into a basin and cover with boiling water.

2. Add the fat (a knob of butter or dripping) and season with salt and pepper

I came across these simple instructions as part of a trove of interesting food items assembled by Museum Wales which also included a sweeter variant of the above, namely siencyn. To make siencyn one substituted hot tea for the boiling water and then you sweetened the dish with sugar and nally added a little cold milk on top.

ere was also a savoury version involving Bovril and cheese, served up to people should they be feeling poorly. In some places the same basic idea was known as sop or bara te and I well remember being given my grandmother’s version, which involved slathering butter on a hunk of home-made bread and serving it in tea made with sultanas and some condensed milk. It was Llanelli’s answer to ambrosia, believe me. What makes the Museum Wales collection utterly absorbing is the way the recipes re ect local variations

and specialities right throughout the country, so that you have black pudding from Nantgarw – which would, of course have been anathema to our vegetarian patron saint; bacon and beef broth from Ceredigion; puddings such as Dowset and Gower cakes from Gower, and boiled milk cake from Whitchurch in Cardi .

ere are other recipes that fully re ect their localities, such as limpet pie from Aberporth and Penybryn in Ceredigion, fresh herrings from Llŷn, ones based on sewin, or sea-trout from Cenarth and ones for crabs and lobsters from Nefyn where both have been shed for centuries.

Being such a staple of the Welsh diet, there are all manner of breads, such as maslin bread – which was baked single on a bakestone and caraway bread, both from Anglesey. en there was sour oatmeal bread from Dy ryn Ardudwy and ginger bread from Llanwrtyd Wells, underlining the range of ingredients and baking approaches.

e recipes themselves derive from an unsung classic volume, Welsh Fare, by Minwel Tibbott, which featured recipes passed down along the generations which Tibbott collected for the Museum archive during the 1970s and 1980s. ey are sometimes peasant fare but o en re ect a close relationship with the land and the patterns of the countryside – hare pie, peas pudding and goose blood tart – the latter made at Christmas, of course.

Some of the foods have traditions to accompany them, such as Noson Ta aith, or to ee evening. is was a part of Christmas and New Year festivities in both north and south Wales, with to ee-pulling a standard feature, while some cakes were made to be shared out to gathered workers during sheep shearing, while the simply named White Pot was associated with the corn harvest on the farms of the Gower peninsula. It was a pudding avoured with nutmeg, candied peel and currants which was served as part of the workmen’s lunch in the elds or with bread and butter for their supper.

ese are all reminders that history can be captured in a recipe, with all the ingredients of times gone by.

©Marian Delyth

Iconically

Think of Welsh icons and you might imagine red dragons, harps and lovespoons but the nation’s vast range of quality food and drink provides a fantastic list of the traditional - and recently established - that are increasingly grabbing the icon spotlight.

‘What did the Romans ever do for us?’ Monty Python once asked. Well, they may have brought us straight paved roads and sanitation, but they didn’t bring us Parma ham, as, rumour has it, they actually stole its coveted recipe from Carmarthen. This may be debatable, but Carmarthen Ham (now with PGI status), as produced by Albert Rees’ family for generations, is just one of many Welsh food and drink icons that have stood the test of time, while some are only recently established and still others appear destined for iconic status in the future.

Historically, it’s pleasantly surprising to see just how much iconic food and drink Wales is responsible for. Stepping back a couple of millennia, though Mead may be regarded as the quintessential Anglo-Saxon tipple, many devotees of the ancient honey-based drink maintain its origins lie with the Druids and Celts of Wales. Once regarded as an aphrodisiac, Mead was traditionally the drink of newly-weds, hence the term ‘honeymoon’. For a modern take on this most ancient of beverages you really should try the produce of Wye Valley’s Hive Mind Mead whose traditional Mead was a Golden Fork winner in 2023 and who offer a range of drinks all offering a contemporary version of this national treasure.

St David famously existed on a diet of water and leeks and the latter remains a national emblem to this day. Our patron saint would undoubtedly approve of Blas Y Tir’s Welsh Leeks, who in 2022 were awarded coveted PGI status to protect their name and quality. However, Blas Y Tir’s Pembrokeshire Earlies, a very special spud, beat them to PGI product status by 11 years – and Welsh Lamb by nineteen. Cawl, the traditional Welsh dish which can include lamb, mutton or beef, remains a fitting way to celebrate St David’s Day and can be obtained from a number of suppliers.

Whisky was said to have developed here in Wales when the country was a Gaelic outpost back in the Dark Ages. Penderyn or Da Mhile brands has lead a resurgence in the noughties, ably followed by Aber Falls and In the Welsh Wind as examples of modern Welsh distilleries who are thriving in the 21st century.

Wrexham Lager was the first brewer of lager in the UK in 1882. Casks were loaded aboard the Titanic prior to its disastrous maiden voyage in April 1912, while it is said that General Gordon kept a stock in his HQ during the infamous siege of Khartoum almost thirty

Welsh

years earlier. Seemingly consigned to history, this durable drink is now enjoying a renaissance thanks in no small part to Tinseltown stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney who recently became co-owners of the company.

Felinfoel Ales have a proud heritage dating back to 1878. Almost sixty years later the Llanelli brewery became one of the first in Europe to can their beers – a revolutionary idea at the time. And a nod also to the Buckley family, owners of Evan Evans, who one way or another, have been brewing ale since 1769.

Other celebrated icons of yesteryear are back on our shelves. For instance, the Aberffraw Biscuit – believed to be Britain’s oldest – was in danger of crumbling into obscurity until North Wales couple James and Natasha Shepherd developed their own recipe and launched the Aberffraw Biscuit Company in 2013. Their Traditional biscuit won a Great Taste Award in 2015; their Lemon biscuit following two years later.

And those twin hardy perennials Bara Brith and Welsh Cakes remain popular today, thanks to businesses like Popty Bakery, the award-winning north Wales business, that has been producing scrumptious Welsh fare using traditional family recipes since the 1930s.

Turning to the sea, Selwyn’s, based on the Gower Peninsula, have been producing Welsh laverbread and cockles ever since Selwyn Jones began selling his seafood through the South Wales valleys almost a century ago. This tradition has been given a contemporary twist by Jonathan Williams’ Pembrokeshire Beach Food Company whose shop boasts a selection of locally and sustainably sourced foods.

Another product which helped put the country on the culinary map is Caerphilly Cheese. Although Welsh production died out following World War Two, it was famously revived by Caws Cenarth during the 1980s. With Dragon, Snowdonia, Colliers and many smaller producers such as Caws Teifi, picking up the cheese baton, Wales’ reputation for great cheese seems assured.

Welsh Brew Tea, who for the past three decades have produced a unique blend of African and Indian teas blended to complement Welsh water, are now a regular on shopping lists country wide. Founder Alan Wenden is a bit of an institution in the Welsh food and drink community having doggedly pursued his dream of putting modern Welsh produce on the map, and in supermarkets.

When it comes to savoury crackers, Cradocs really take the biscuit. Based in the Brecon Beacons, Cradocs have been creating crackers for just 12 years but are fast on the way to iconic status. And who could have foreseen how Denbigh’s Llaeth y Llan, set up after the Roberts family’s first yoghurt trials in an airing cupboard, would develop into a thriving producer with facilities geared to create and package high quality yoghurt? 40 years on they’re a fixture on supermarket shelves across the UK and enjoying bumper growth.

Similarly, both the Glamorgan Sausage and the Welsh Oggie, remain much in demand. The former, a traditional Welsh vegetarian sausage usually made with cheese, leeks and breadcrumbs, is mentioned in George Borrows’ Wild Wales, but became greatly prized during World War Two when meat was scarce. Talking of meat, let’s not forget Welsh Beef, awarded PGI status by the EU way back in 2002. Just as the Cornish pasty famously evolved as a hearty, easy-to-hold meal for tin miners, the Welsh Oggie has its origins in the pits of south Wales. It is said that when the pasties were ready to eat the word ‘oggy’ was bellowed down mine shafts by the wives who had cooked them.

Given that our climate is somewhat damp the remarkable success of bottled water companies Brecon Carreg and Ty Nant in recent years should come as no surprise. Brecon Carreg is now one of our most recognisable brands, while Ty Nant’s iconic bottles have been much imitated but never bettered.

One of the country’s biggest and most unexpected culinary success stories is the remarkable rise of Tregroes Waffles, established by Dutchman Kees Huysmans in the 1980s. Whether sweet caramel, chocolate-coated or savoury, a Tregroes Waffle is now as Welsh as Bara Brith!

Halen Mon, the Anglesey sea salt company were launched on the back of that Eureka moment in 1997 when sea crystals formed in a saucepan of boiling seawater told founders David and Alison Lea-Wilson that they had struck culinary gold. A gold that would end up adorning high-end restaurants and kitchens nationwide. And what would salt be without vinegar? Based in Port Talbot, condiment manufacturers Krunchie – whose products range from vinegar and browning to oven fries and Sunday roasts – have been a Welsh family favourite since 1934.

‘Refreshingly Welsh’ is the proud claim of the Gwynt y Ddraig Welsh cider and perry company of Llantwit Fardre, who’s amber nectar is ubiquitous across the country while the charmingly named Tiny Rebel, an award-winning brewery from Newport, produce great beers that pack a punch, and are now seen in trendy pubs and bars across the UK.

And what of the future? Who will generations to come see as a national iconic treasure? Looking into our crystal ball, we have a few speculative ideas:

• In The Welsh Wind – the only Welsh distillery producing a 100 per cent grain to glass single malt Welsh Whisky crafted from locally-grown grain, malted, distilled and matured on site.

• Barti Ddu Rum – Named after the legendary Pembrokeshire pirate, Barti Ddu Rum has been at the forefront of the rum renaissance and is still as good as it gets as well as being totally original thanks to its seaweed ingredient.

• Caws Teifi – the most highly-awarded artisan cheesemaker in Britain, was set up over forty years ago, but the Savage-Onstwedder family will ensure their world-beating raw cheeses continue to sit at the top table.

• Crwst Bakery – Cardigan’s artisan bakery whose stated aim is to ‘creating the type of food for foodies like ourselves’.

• Au Vodka – already a worldwide sensation that’s captured a zeitgeist, founded by two entrepreneurial schoolfriends from Swansea.

• Radnor Hill’s Splash flavoured waters – a reminder of halcyon school days for every child in Wales.

• Root Zero – possibly the world’s first zero carbon spud and a sign of things to come.

• Cygnet Gin – arguably not an icon itself yet but its founder, Katherine Jenkins certainly is!

• Castell Howell’s lorries – as ubiquitous as a traffic jam on a Bank Holiday!

What’s certain is that Wales’ list of iconic food and drink will continue to grow.

Running Towards a Sustainable Future: Brecon Carreg & Run 4 Wales’ Green Initiative

Every year, over 50,000 participants take part in Run 4 Wales’ races, making them some of South Wales’ biggest running events. Now, Run 4 Wales has teamed up with Brecon Carreg to lead the charge in minimizing the environmental impact of these popular races. rough a series of innovative initiatives, the aim is clear: inspire participants to reduce waste and recycle more. For nearly a decade, they’ve been working together to lessen the environmental footprint of races like the Cardi Half Marathon, which attracts a whopping 29,000 participants.

Eleri Morgan, Marketing Manager at Brecon Carreg Mineral Water, shared: “Consumers are increasingly concerned about the environmental consequences of their consumption, and we share this concern. Plastic bottles contribute to the growing plastic pollution problem. Brecon Carreg wants to tackle this issue in a meaningful, ambitious way, and we’re thrilled that our partnership with Run 4 Wales allows us to share this message with millions of Welsh consumers.”

One of the most exciting developments in their partnership is the creation of the Brecon Carreg Plogging Team. If you haven’t heard of plogging before, it’s a unique, eco-friendly trend where participants pick up litter while jogging or running. e term was rst coined in Sweden, combining the words plokka (to pick up) and jogga (to jog), and it’s gaining traction as a fun way to make a real impact on our environment. By integrating plogging into their events, Run 4 Wales and Brecon Carreg are making a tangible di erence to the sustainability of race day, while encouraging people to meet new friends and be active.

Matt Newman, CEO of Run 4 Wales, explains, “ e Brecon Carreg plogging team has become a vital part of our events. ey help us minimize our environmental impact by ensuring the streets stay clean and that as much waste as possible is recycled.”

eir joint e orts are paying o , with recycling rates at major events like the Cardi Half Marathon reaching an impressive 96%! is collaboration proves that sustainability and sport can go hand in hand, setting a strong example for future events to follow. rough the Brecon Carreg and Run 4 Wales partnership, they are helping to foster a greener, more sustainable future— one step, and one race, at a time.

www.breconwater.co.uk

A Cure All

Smoked, salted, fermented and cured, Welsh charcuterie is winning increasing space on the finest grazing boards and best deli counters.

Abigail Saltmarsh presents just some of the select sausages, salamis, cured meats and cold cuts currently being sliced.

Trealy Farm Charcuterie

Monmouthshire-based Trealy Farm Charcuterie sold its first charcuterie products, made from its own rarebreed pigs, at Usk Farmers’ Market in 2004. Inspired by his French grandmother’s recipes for products such as Boudin Noir, co-founder James Swift went on to develop some 40 varieties of charcuterie using meat from Welsh black cattle, Welsh mountain lambs, saddleback pigs, wild boars, free-range ducks and even goats.

Today the company, based near Pontypool, produces an impressive range of air-dried meats, salamis and chorizos, as well as cured and cooked meats. Its salami and chorizo ranges draw inspiration from Italy, New York and the Middle East, while its Monmouthshire air-dried meats are more southern European in style.

For a taste of its salty selection, look no further than the Pressed Guanciale, made from smoked pigs’ cheeks or Truffled N’Duja, a spreading salami flavoured by musky truffle. Monmouthshire Air-Dried Ham, aged for at least two months, is also a signature product, as is, of course, Boudin Noir, blood sausage.

trealyfarmcharcuterie.co.uk

The Baker’s Pig – Welsh Charcuterie and Smokehouse

Situated in the fringes of the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park, The Baker’s Pig is justly proud of its award-winning charcuterie and smokehouse products. Founded by Andrew and Liz Baker, who started out keeping Berkshire pigs on a small farm in West Wales 30 years ago, it has been based at Ty’r Cwm Farm, beside the Black Mountain, since 2011.

Charcuterie started as something as a kitchen table hobby for the couple but today they produce their cured meats and smoked delicacies from a purposebuilt production facility on the farm. Their air-dried, fermented salami is created from pigs that have been bred, reared and butchered on the farm. Their fully cured meats and salami are smoked over oak, maple and apple wood fires.

Among their most popular products is the Italianstyle Finocchiona salami, where the subtle flavour of aromatic green fennel seeds is complemented by whole black peppercorns. Also gently flavoured with herbs and spices, are their air-dried whole muscle hams, including Lonza and Speck, both hung and dry aged for three to six months before being thinly sliced.

thebakerspig.com

Moch Coch

Tucked away in picturesque Talog, in Carmarthenshire, the small farm of Moch Coch is carving out a niche for itself with its cured and air-dried meats and salamis. With a focus on sustainable farming, former acupuncturist Bethan Morgan decided to upscale from simply running a smallholding after realising how few suppliers of free-range charcuterie there were.

Moch Coch’s Tamworth pigs, slow growing and renowned for their tasty back fat, are free to roam, dig and forage. There is a focus on biodiversity, soil health and plastic-free packaging. The product range includes salamis and chorizos flavoured with simple ingredients such as sea salt and aromatic spices. Beef, raised either by Moch Coch or other local farms, is air dried for two months after being seasoned with strong spices and red wine.

Worth a particular mention is the richly favoured Beef and Juniper salami, created from the free-range pork, together with beef and crushed juniper berries, and the Prosciutto, where pork hams are cured naturally in salt and pepper then air dried for up to four months.

www.mochcoch.wales

Carmarthen Ham

Handcrafted by generations of the Rees family, the mellow, saltiness of tender Carmarthen Ham has been heralded by numerous Welsh cookery shows, as well as chefs Rick Stein and Ainsley Harriot. It is the only British cured ham with a protected geographical indication (PGI) status and local folklore has it that the Romans stole the recipe when they settled in Wales, then renamed it Parma Ham!

The recipe for the air-dried, salt-cured ham, which takes six to nine months to mature, has been passed down through the family of Carmarthen Market butcher Albert Rees. Today it is still sliced thinly and served in the market, now by Carmarthen Deli.

The richly coloured charcuterie meat is sold as whole, boned or sliced and packed. Enjoyed fresh on a graze board or in a salad or sandwich, it can also feature in cooked dishes, wrapped around fish, chicken or vegetables – and Carmarthen Deli has even seen it made into crisps and sprinkled on cocktails.

carmarthendeli.co.uk

Trail Head Fine Foods

Trailblazing in Welsh beef charcuterie are the creators of Get Jerky. Headed up by award-winning chef Arwyn Watkins, and based at Buttington, near Welshpool, Trail Head Fine Foods uses nothing but farmlandraised PGI Welsh silverside in its handcrafted range of beef products.

Initially focusing on jerky, which is marinated before being slow cooked and air dried, the company introduced a new addition to its range in 2022 – a responsibly sourced, wild venison version. Now Trail Head has added Salt Beef to its collection of products. Carefully cured and salted, this can be bought ready to boil, steam or otherwise cook in a seasoning of choice at home.

Get Jerky favourites include Real Ale, made with Dark Secret Ale from Welsh Monty’s Brewery, and Black Garlic and Ginger, with hints of balsamic and molasses as well as fresh garlic and ginger. Those seeking something more piquant can indulge in the fiery flavours of Dragon Jerky and Spicy Chilli.

www.getjerky.wales

Welsh Homestead Smokery

Set on a smallholding in the Cambrian Mountains in Ceredigion, the Welsh Homestead Smokery was launched by Claire Jesse and her family in 2019. Producing small batch products, with interesting flavour combinations, the micro smokehouse creates a range of bacons from pork belly, as well as PGI Welsh lamb.

Its pork bacon includes Smoked Rum and Molasses, Smoked Chocolate Espresso and Smoked Chilli and Paprika variations. It also sells burgers, made with its own dry-cured and ground bacon mixed with high-quality Welsh beef, and other smoked products, including jams.

Look out for the Welsh Homestead Smokery’s signature Smoked Honey Lamb Bacon, as well as a special edition product, created to celebrate the Cambrian Mountains Dark Skies. Dark Skies Rum and Molasses Smoked Bacon is infused with Da Mhile Organic Dark Skies Rum, which has been oak matured, with hints of vanilla and raisin, and distilled close to the smokery.

welshsmokery.co.uk

Myrddin Heritage

Owen and Tanya Margan launched Myrddin Heritage after honing their free-range pig rearing skills in Australia. Today they tend Saddleback pigs, as well as, sheep, cattle, chickens and ducks, on their smallholding at Rhos, near Llandysul, and produce their made-to-order products from a processing unit in Llanpumsaint.

Their Welsh charcuterie range includes chorizo, as well as Italian Fennel, a semi-cured sausage suitable for tapas, paella and ragu. They also produce Y Guanciale, their own black pepper-coated version of dry-cured pork cheek.

Myrddin Heritage’s chorizos include Spanish-style Chorizo Picante, flavoured with sweet paprika, garlic and chilli, and Oak Smoked Cooking Chorizo Picante that can be fried and added to a charcuterie board. The company’s Chorizo Crumb is also a firm favourite with chefs.

myrddinheritage.wales

Black Mountains Smokery

From their base in historic Crickhowell, Jo and Jonathan Carthew oversee the renowned Black Mountains Smokery. The couple decided to settle in Bannau Brycheiniog after returning from South Africa where they lived for almost 10 years. The Black Mountains Smokery began production in 1996 and has gone from strength to strength ever since.

The Carthews pride themselves in producing their award-winning range of products through traditional curing methods. To ensure their wood for smoking is sustainably produced and not processed, all their oak shavings come from local Welsh furniture makers and the Cadw Workshop.

Their gourmet products, which have no artificial flavourings, additives or preservatives, include Smoked Salmon, Sea Bass, Haddock and Rainbow Trout. Their Pepper Roasted Salmon and Cold Smoked Rainbow Trout will enhance any grazing platter. Look out for the Golden Fork winning Smoked Duck and Chicken Breast as well.

www.smoked-foods.co.uk

From Our Farm

For a taste of Welsh biltong, look no further than Narberth-based From Our Farm. It was in 2017 that Rachel and Michael George decided to create South African-style biltong from beef reared on their Pembrokeshire Farm and today they offer an exciting range of interestingly flavoured products.

Initially working with a homemade dryer, they now use a cutting-edge piece of equipment to produce biltong in small batches from their PGI-accredited Welsh beef. Their dried and cured meat can be bought in sticks or sliced.

In addition to the Original Biltong Beef Snack, their range includes Tomato and Basil, Chilli Biltong and Blazing Biltong, which is made with habanero chillies and turmeric. Another speciality is Carolina Reaper, prepared with chillis believed to be the hottest in the world and grown by the Pembrokeshire Chilli Farm. fromourfarm.co.uk

Gwella

At Gwella, near Llanfarian, in West Wales, the Thomas family cures and cooks beef and lamb reared on a farm overlooking the Bae Ceredigion coast. The meats are prepared in small batches to the family’s own recipes and following carefully developed processes. These include wet curing the lamb to a method the company believes to be unique.

Gwella’s products are cured in the family’s own brine mix and then enhanced with a selection of herbs and spices. These bring out the rich, natural flavours of the meat while offering something different and special to each product.

For extra punch, look out for the Welsh Lamb with Nepali Spice and the Welsh Beef with Mexican Spice. Gwella’s Welsh Lamb with Garlic and Mint and Cured and Cooked Welsh Mutton are also popular on deli platters and in sandwiches, wraps and pasta dishes.

gwellacymru.co.uk

#STIRRINGSTUFF

Invest and

Mike Lewis examines the options if you need to raise funds to start or grow a food and drink business in Wales

THE onset of a new year is a time for looking forward and identifying new goals. Perhaps now is the time to pursue that long-held ambition of starting your own food and drink venture or moving your existing business to the next level?

It can appear a daunting prospect, but through a combination of careful planning, determination and knowledge about how to seek out the right investment, anything is possible.

Firstly, ask yourself some fundamental questions to be clear about what you want or need. Do you actually require investment? If you’re sure you do then, what do you want out of it and is there an exit plan? Is your plan or business ready and would you be happy with working with, or answering to, investors? Is your business idea right? Does it have something that makes it unique to investors? And then there is timing – don’t leave it too late. Think about succession planning. Could or should you self-finance? Is investment the best or only option?

The advice of Rhodri Jones, of Crwst Bakery, for those wishing to follow in the footsteps of the award-winning Ceredigion-based business, is to establish ‘a firm grasp’ on cash flow from the outset.

“Understanding your financial position in real time allows informed decisions about when to invest and how to manage resources effectively,” he says. “This insight is essential for sustainable growth, helping you assess affordability, manage risks, and seize opportunities with confidence. Financial discipline is the foundation for strategic expansion.”

This is sound advice and will enable informed decisions on the best way forward when the time comes to consider funding options.

“I want to see the investment coming from within my family.” (Rosie Oretti, Grounds For Good).

Whilst many businesses will ultimately conclude that they need commercial financial assistance, it’s not necessarily the right path for everyone, especially when starting out. Organic or self-investment can be used to set up a business from, say, a kitchen or a farm. Alternately, someone with an expertise may elect to strike out on their own. Their expertise allows them to raise money through borrowings they will be personally liable for. Family and friends may provide a loan.

The support you need may not require financing at all thanks to organisations such as Cywain, a Welsh Government funded business-led programme aimed at developing new and existing micro businesses, and the Welsh Government’s Cluster, Scale Up and Investor Ready programmes. Business Wales, the government’s flagship business support programme, offers advice and guidance on how to set up and grow.

Rosie Oretti experienced her ‘lightbulb’ moment while working in a cafe. “I noticed the vast amount of coffee grounds being generated,” she recalls. “All bound for landfill.”

The upshot was the setting-up of Grounds For Good, a social enterprise start-up business embracing the beneficial powers of re-used coffee grounds or their powerhouse extracts, to produce a collection of

Grow

personal care or lifestyle products. All profits go to The Wallich, a national homeless charity.

“I want to see the investment coming from within my family,” explains Rosie. “I’m fortunate in that I’ve invested wisely and have no mortgage.”

And she acknowledges the support of Cywain. “Phenomenal,” she says. “I wouldn’t be able to function without them. “Their training programmes detail how to sell products, write a business plan, how to sell on Tik Tok and training on marketing. Plus, I have a mentor.

“In addition to providing support for the brand development when we started, Cywain have also organised visits to trade shows such as the Royal Welsh Show, Northern Restaurant and Bar Show in Manchester and provided me the opportunity to exhibit at the Blas Cymru / Taste Wales exhibition in Newport as one of Cywain’s ‘Rising Stars’.

“We’re spoilt having such a supportive organisation. My English business partners are green with envy!” Rosie’s natural resilience suggests she is in for the long haul. “I know all the hard work will pay off,” she says. “The past four years have taught me the race can be won differently.

“I used to be a hare, now I’m far happier being a tortoise.”

For a more established business looking to move to the next level, or a start-up where rapid growth is envisaged, BIC Innovation, who manage the Food & Drink Wales Scale Up and Investor Ready Programmes, should be the first port of call. They can set businesses on the right path and help them grow and thrive.

The former takes a wider view, looking beyond investment, at the challenges facing businesses as they scale-up. By focussing on capacity, skills and competencies it’s often possible to scale up without major investment.

The latter helps prepare businesses for investment, whether that’s introducing them to fund providers, helping to write business plans, preparing financial forecasts and management accounts, recruiting an in-house accountant or implementing new financial systems.

“We’ve had great support from the Scale-Up and Investor Ready programmes,” says Matt Newell, of Hive Mind Mead. “This has assisted us with becoming more financially confident, having the confidence to take calculated risks, getting our numbers in order and being an excellent and open sounding board for all things investment, finance and scaling up.”

So, having addressed the question of whether raising investment is the way forward and secured support, what are the main options?

“Welsh Government continues to provide help, ranging from Business Wales’ Accelerated Growth Programme to grant funding, mentoring and skills development.” (Radnor Hills MD Simon Knight).

State Funding and Grants are usually directed at capital investment and have eligibility requirements that the applicant needs to satisfy such as the size of the business or match-funding and can sometimes only be used to support certain activities. Grants are usually drawn down retrospectively and may take some time to be processed, so applicants still need to consider their working capital requirements and decide whether the project is affordable within a retrospective claim regime.

A combination of grants and state help have enabled Radnor Hills, the family-owned business whose renowned spring water and flavoured waters have become a household name, to continually invest in the company.

MD Simon Knight says recent projects include a new canning box packing machine, the installation of a new

Tetra Pak line and a new storage warehouse.

“One of our business priorities was to find an expansion opportunity in Wales that mirrors our manufacturing base in Knighton, so in September 2023 we acquired Highland Spring Group’s Welsh production site,” he says.

“The deal protects jobs in Swansea and supports our ongoing strategic growth. The acquisition also included a 40-acre water source in the heart of Bannau Brycheiniog National Park, which complements the supply we already have at our source at Heartsease.

“The opportunity for us to continue to safeguard jobs in Wales and offer more local employment is extremely important to us. We have invested millions to expand our facilities in Knighton.”

And the Welsh Government has been a great supporter since the business was launched from the Watkins family farm in 1990.

“Our CEO William Watkins founded Radnor Hills with the help of a Welsh Government match-funding grant for farm diversification and a £20,000 family investment,” says Simon.

And with climate change such a hot topic it comes as no surprise that Radnor Hills and many other businesses are increasingly looking at raising finance to fund green projects.

“We installed a £1.8 million solar farm to power our manufacturing site,” says Simon. “This now produces enough power to provide 25 per cent of our factory’s energy requirement.”

Similarly, having already funded a three-year £14.4m expansion plan partly through a £5m grant from the Welsh Government Rural Development Programme, South Caernarfon Creameries have recently embarked on “Project Evolve”, a £2 million investment, successfully delivering a brand-new high-speed portioning line. Additionally, several key improvements and site infrastructure projects were completed, enabling the site to increase prepack production volumes by 50%. The move follows “Project Dragon”, a £25 million investment programme that included a new whey processing facility, additional cheese production lines and a new cleaning facility along with increasing its utility services and helped the company achieve thetop ‘level 5’ Green Dragon environmental standard.

There is a raft of green finance available which help businesses make these investments. Development Bank of Wales (DBW) offers the Green Business Loan

Scheme (https://developmentbank.wales/businessneed/green-business-loan-scheme)

“The Development Bank of Wales terms were better than our business bank.” (Halen Môn MD Alison LeaWilson).

Filling the gap between commercial providers and state support is the DBW. Owned by Welsh Government it offers finance that can be more attractive and better suited for businesses where the commercial banks may not be such a good fit.

DBW provide a range of debt and equity finance, including micro loans and larger loans, and loans aimed directly at sustainability improvements. They manage a number of different funds, including the Wales Flexible Investment Fund, Micro Loan Fund and the Green Business Loan Scheme. Angels Invest Wales is also part of DBW, and since 2018, have been connecting with entrepreneurs across the country.

Halen Môn – Anglesey Sea Salt Company recently secured a loan for a new smokery and warehouse. “The terms were better than our business bank and we can repay early with no penalties,” explains Halen Môn MD Alison Lea-Wilson.

“We have a business plan and clear financial strategy to repay the loan. We have never defaulted on a payment and have always successfully concluded each project. We have a proven market so financial partners are happy to back us.”

Halen Môn aim to grow sustainably and ‘build a strong management team so that the business will continue into the next generation of our family’.

“We’ve had so much help from Welsh Government,” says Alison. “Advice, mentoring, practical help setting up systems, introductions to new partners and customers. We are members of the food and drink Clusters and attend conferences, training and workshops.”

She emphasises the need to have all your ducks in a row prior to key investment decisions.

“Set your systems up from the start, including monthly management accounts and meetings to follow up on successes or areas of weakness,” she says. “Build in quality systems such as SALSA or, in our case, BRGS. Manage your staff fairly and share your business plans with them.

“Find a gap in the market – either produce something better than is already there, or something that is not already there. Don’t compete on price, but on quality,

customer service etc. Build your brand on real values –and live those values.”

Crwst Bakery, of Cardigan, opened in 2018 with the aim of ‘establishing a place for foodies like ourselves!’ They now produce an array of artisan cakes and breads. Sales and production manager Rhodri Jones says they recognised the need for investment to support growth early on. “DBW provided us with our first loan; pivotal in helping us scale the business effectively,” he remembers.

“Their support went beyond just financial assistance; we’ve built a strong, ongoing relationship making them our go-to partner whenever we require additional investment.

“Our focus on delivering exceptional customer experiences, combined with sustainable business practices and community involvement, makes Crwst an attractive prospect for those looking to invest in a dynamic, purpose-driven company with a proven track record.”

Crwst’s upward trajectory illustrates the importance of homing in on grants options which is where Cywain or Business Wales are essential.

Pitchfork and Provision previously received funding under a now closed scheme, the Food Business Investment Scheme (FBIS), to finance a new production unit. Fellow beneficiaries are Carmarthen Ham, whose ARFOR grant along with support from Transforming Towns via Carmarthenshire Council will fund a new deli, butchery and processing unit.

Another company to benefit from a grant, albeit a different one, is Llanfairpwll Distillery, of Anglesey, whose founder, Rob Laming, says they have quadrupled their capacity. Having secured finance from DBW they also received an ARFOR Fund grant set up by Anglesey Council, an Enterprising Communities grant and some personal funds. “We’re proud of our Welsh roots, and this has helped us develop,” says Rob. “It’s important to get timelines in place from any funders to make the project run smoother and avoid issues with, say, increased costs.”

“Nail your business model and then execute it with a well-funded plan in place.” (Huw Thomas, Puffin Produce CEO).

Commercial banks, venture capital or business angels can be the way forward for an already established business in the form of an overdraft, loan or equity. An angel investor can leverage their position

to allow a bank to match the equity investment with debt or a mixture of debt and equity that offers some security.

Huw Thomas, CEO for Puffin Produce, always felt there was scope for a Welsh diary to supply Welsh milk to the Welsh shopper. “There’s amazing grass on our doorstep, yet we were seeing milk loaded onto lorries and taken across to England to be bottled, to be then brought back to Wales,” he says. “Our aim is to bring back the full economic footprint to Wales.”

The opening of Pembrokeshire Creamery in Haverfordwest means Welsh milk can again be produced, bottled and consumed without crossing Offa’s Dyke. “Provenance is key,” stresses Huw. “The Welsh consumer is very loyal to Welsh produce and by substituting the Union Jack with the Red Dragon on our products we’ve consistently increased sales across major retailers.”

Pembrokeshire Creamery is backed by Puffin Produce, the country’s largest supplier of potatoes, PGI Welsh Leeks and Daffodils. The company invested around £14 million, raised through bank loans and equity injections. A further £6 million came from Welsh Government. Huw says investors took Puffin’s track record into account. “We used existing skill sets and links to the major retailers to show proven capability and understanding of the food and drink sector.”

Huw adds launching Blas Y Tir milk was logical. “What is crucial is collating aspects customers can relate to. Plus, a well-tuned business model securely funded in order for major retailers to respond to. Nail your business model and then execute it with a wellfunded plan in place.”

Pembrokeshire Creamery is completing phase two expansion and will operate at a new production capacity of two million litres a week by spring, with further capex investment bringing the total amount up to £25 million. The dairy has a workforce of about 65 and a turnover of £40 million.

Another benefit of this type of funding can be found when financing a management buyout, as David Stockley, who led a management buy-out of Brecon Carreg in 2019, explains: “When financing and raising investment for a buyout, several key factors come into play, including the valuation of the business, the structure of the deal, and the availability of financing options. Lenders and investors specialising in management buyouts often have a keen understanding of these dynamics and can provide tailored support.”

“We want an investor with whom we can work, chat freely and be totally open with, and appreciates that we are a small, but growing business.” (Matt Newell, Hive Mind Mead).

Partnering or selling a share is sometimes done by a company or companies who believe collectively they can either reduce a risk through a joint venture (JV) or access a market at scale through the partnership approach, sharing contacts, expertise or facilities. Where the cost of entry into new markets is prohibitive a JV might be the only way, preceding a deeper collaboration leading to a merger or acquisition.

Based in Caldicot, using honey from the Wye Valley, Hive Mind Mead are considering investment after launching their Honeyade natural soft drink range.

“We are keeping our options open,” explains Matt Newell, who co-founded the company with his brother, Kit. “We want an investor with whom we can work, chat freely and be totally open with and someone who appreciates that we are a small, but a growing business. “We know the limit of our ability and investment would add a fresh and new mind and resources and possibly someone who has faced the challenges we are currently addressing.

“Something we now know is to learn about the mechanics of business finance and get into the habit of budgeting and following cash flow forecasts,” says Matt. “It’s not just a case of making a great product. Getting the numbers right is key.”

“We’ve been very lucky to have had great support from BIC Innovation through the Welsh Government and their excellent Scale Up programme.”

“Don’t be greedy, you may miss a great opportunity!” (Russ Honeyman, Monty’s Brewery).

When it comes to loan vs equity, currently unsecured capital can cost upwards of 15 per cent plus, but equity is often more expensive due to risk premiums. The equity investor is taking, not just a risk on the lack of security, but on the people, their expertise and the marketplace being predictable. They need to know that the exit from the position is possible so that someone else will be prepared to take on and buy the investment.

Based near Montgomery, Monty’s Brewery – founded in 2008 by Russ and Pam Honeyman – have just had a major investment from Ubunto Business Holdings who acquired 51 per cent of the business ahead of expansion plans.

Finding an investor has paid off. “It’s early days, but we are looking at purchasing a new canning line and have

had a total rebrand,” explains Russ.

“Some of the larger companies want to purchase from us, but they don’t pay for 90 days. As much as we can produce the beer, we didn’t have the cash flow for that time frame. What we have now is the ability to tender for those sorts of contracts, which will then grow the business.

“We didn’t want a company from London or elsewhere to buy us and end up just brewing beer for another brand. We wanted to be able to go down the local pub and still enjoy a pint of Monty’s!

“A customer had just sold 50 per cent of his Gin company to entrepreneur Mike Harris, owner of The New Saints football club,” recounts Russ. “I mentioned we were looking to sell, and he told Mike. From that point on we met and negotiated a deal that we were happy with.

“The brewery’s new owners have several pubs, a hotel and football stadium, and so as we launch our new branding, our beers will be seen there and further afield.

“In the early days Welsh Government helped us with the trade missions and our export journey and although we do not export as much now, it really helped. There have been trade shows too and more recently we had a grant for some equipment to monitor the beers remotely. That was only about £5,000 but has made a huge difference already.

“A business is only worth what someone’s prepared to pay for it. We were valued by an independent company, which we now believe was a very over-inflated price. If someone makes an offer, think long and hard. Will you be happier with a business partner that may have a different skill set, contacts and visions?

“Will they take some of the money pressures off you? Will you be happier knowing there is backing? And don’t be greedy, you may miss a great opportunity!”

“We were keen to see Wrexham Lager, which went into administration over 20 years ago, again enjoyed around the globe.” (James Wright, Wrexham Lager).

Inward investment could best be described as ‘foreign’ capital, such as a larger business from outside Wales who buy/take a stake in a business they feel has potential. Alternatively, the inward investor may decide to establish its operations in the region as it offers advantages.

Wrexham Lager is a long-established business now enjoying a revival, thanks in no small part to their

Tinseltown connection. CEO James Wright says contact with Hollywood stars Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds resulted through the company’s sponsorship of Wrexham AFC.

“The brand has great heritage,” he says. “Not only is it the oldest lager brand in the UK, it was also once enjoyed in many international markets – we have newspaper clippings from Australia in 1884 showing Wrexham Lager being sold.

“The Roberts family and I were keen to see Wrexham Lager, a business that went into administration just over 20 years ago, once again enjoyed around the globe. However, the existing infrastructure wasn’t equipped for expansion internationally.

“So, we opened the dialogue with Rob and Ryan’s teams at More Better and Maximum Effort, while also exploring and securing new international routes to market ourselves. There was immediate alignment on the potential for Wrexham Lager Beer Co to follow in the footsteps of Wrexham AFC and create more opportunities locally and globally for the town and individual businesses.”

James explains that a major impact has been the establishment of Red Dragon Ventures, which both Wrexham AFC and Wrexham Lager Beer Co now sit under.

“This has given us fresh ideas, energy and passion,” he enthuses. “The investment is allowing us to capitalise on brand ‘Wrexham’ and also increase awareness for brand ‘Wales’, which the Welsh Government are collaborating with us on. The most refreshing thing has been to work with investors who don’t just see the business as a quick buck but buy into every part of your story. If they invest with hearts and minds, then it sets a really strong foundation for future success.”

“Always be prepared to pivot when faced with unexpected challenges.” (David Stockley, Brecon Carreg MD)

Related to, but different from a straightforward bank loan is asset finance, a popular way of securing lower costs money given it is ‘secured’ as opposed to ‘unsecured’ working capital. Invoice discounting/ finance can be considered asset finance and helped Brecon Carreg post-Covid when a deal with independent lenders Ultimate Finance enabled immediate cash flow.

“When Covid hit we applied for a term loan that proved crucial in helping us survive that first year,” recounts MD David Stockley, who says it allowed

the company to fulfil many essential commitments including the payment of wages. “Securing the involvement of Ultimate Finance in 2019 was a strategic move to ensure we had the financial stability and flexibility needed to drive growth. Their expertise and commitment to our vision made them the ideal partner.

“Taking over Brecon Carreg just as Covid hit was an immense challenge. Our resilience and ability to adapt quickly were crucial in navigating uncertainties. We focused on maintaining supply chain integrity along with managing costs within our power.

“We have received invaluable support from the Welsh Government and agencies like Mentera. Their advice and resources have helped us navigate challenges and develop our business and our team. I would advise anyone looking to set up or take over a business to focus on building a strong, adaptable team, prioritise financial stability, and remain open to constant incremental improvements. Seek advice from mentors and industry experts and always be prepared to pivot when faced with unexpected challenges.”

Of course, no business will prosper without the right workforce which is why many businesses may also be looking for external finance to invest in skills and training such as automation and new equipment. Simon Knight, of Radnor Hills, explains that Welsh Government have continued to provide support for training, ranging from Business Wales’ Accelerated Growth Programme to grant funding, mentoring and skills development support through Mentera.

“We’ve also been helped with canning seamer training, CIPS, HR and CID training plus a marketing miniMBA,” he says. This programme can also be used to fund finance and accounts training, a vulnerability that many smaller businesses tend to have.

So, ultimately, while the challenges of business may appear formidable, and raising investment daunting, the network of support available effectively acts as a giant safety net – and the rewards are worth it.

“Having experienced the restriction of working for the NHS for thirty years, I felt like a kid in a sweet shop!” says Rosie Oretti.

Useful contacts

www.businesswales.gov.wales/foodanddrink/ growing-your-business

www.rhaglenni.mentera.cymru/cywain/en/home www.bic-innovation.com food-drink.wales

Delicious soft drinks crafted in Wales for 35 years

This year, fifth-generation farmer William Watkins will celebrate the 35th anniversary of his company Radnor Hills. Today it is one of the UK’s leading soft drinks manufacturers and sells more than 400 million soft drinks a year – that’s an incredible 12 drinks every second.

Trace mineral-rich water is carefully extracted from a number of boreholes, reaches the production area within minutes, and is turned into a range of exciting products which serve customers across the UK.

The company has won a number of awards for its sustainable values, has been a zero to landfill site since 2018 and recycles absolutely everything it possibly can. Sustainability is a bedrock of the company. Since the end of 2023, 25% of the factory has been powered by the sun thanks to a solar farm. Future goals include aiming for net-zero emissions by 2045.

Radnor Fizz is one of the UK’s leading School Compliant drinks brands, which is trusted by parents and has been a firm favourite of children for over 15 years.

Containing real fruit juice, all natural flavourings and with no added sugar, Radnor Fizz is made using pure Welsh spring water and counts as 1 of a child’s recommended 5-a-day fruit portions. Each bottle is made up of 30% recycled plastic and is 100% recyclable.

Radnor Splash is the UK’s fastest growing flavoured water brand and an easy way to stay hydrated.

This low-calorie drink range comes in six bold and fruity flavours and a number of formats from strawfree Tetra, 100% recyclable bottles and a new canned range.

A bestseller, Radnor Splash is completely sugar-free and comes in still and sparkling options.

Heartsease

Crafted with 100% natural ingredients, Heartsease Farm is an award-winning range of premium sparkling presses.

Made with pure Radnor Hills spring water and a blend of real fruit juices, Heartsease Farm is perfect as a drink on its own or can be used as a marvellous mixer for cocktails, alcoholic or otherwise.

Radnor Hills Mineral Water Company Ltd, Heartsease, Knighton, Powys, LD7 1LU 01547 530 220 | sales@radnorhills.co.uk | www.radnorhills.co.uk

Radnor Splash

Farm

Radnor Fizz

FOR THE LOVE OF THE DOUGH

Walking into Pitchfork and Provision, nestled just off the high street in the chic market town of Llandeilo, customers are greeted by a mouth-watering display of crusty, perfectly formed sourdough loaves and an array of pastries that look like they’ve come straight from a Parisian pâtisserie.

“It’s all made here – all of it. The bread, the pastries, the custards – there’s nothing that hasn’t been handmade by our team in the bakery and kitchen which is right there next to the café,” explains Rachel, one of the co-owners of the business.

The café, bakery, and more recently, deli, occupy an impressive courtyard space, meticulously maintained and setting the tone for the attention to detail and commitment to quality that runs through every aspect of the business. “We never compromise on quality. Everything we do, we do to the highest standard”. That drive for excellence is what sparked the initial business idea back in 2020. Before the lockdown, Rachel’s husband and Gareth - two childhood friends, would often meet for coffee. The two would exchange notes on recent eats and frequently lament how hard it was to find well-made bread or pastries in the area. When lockdown hit and Gareth found himself out of work, a decision was made to set out to fill the gap in

the market for exceptional quality sourdough and to launch Pitchfork and Provision.

Moving quickly, they converted Rachel’s parents’ garage in Betws, Rhydaman, into a bakery and whilst still in lockdown, began selling their produce at local markets and offering a delivery service for their hampers which included a loaf of their bread along with other essentials such as eggs, milk and butter. With growing demand for their products, the friends soon realised that to expand further, they would need to move to bigger premises with scope to develop additional elements to the business. That decision led to Rachel becoming more involved in the business, leaving her role as an Environmental Health Officer and in 2022, the company moving to the building they now occupy in Llandeilo.

“It was definitely a risk at the time,” admits Gareth. “Moving from a garage to the Courtyard in Llandeilo required major investment both in the building itself as well in staff and in bakery equipment. We were fortunate to receive incredible support from Cywain, a Welsh Government funded programme that works with food and drink producers. We worked with a systems expert to optimize the bakery’s layout and efficiency, plus received guidance on staff training, social media, and

branding. That support was invaluable at the beginning – we always felt we had someone to turn to when we needed guidance and it’s what helped us build the business to what it is today.”

And what it is today is a thriving business with 20 employees and growing, making it an important local employer - a position they take great pride in.

“We really value our team,” says Rachel. “The trust and respect we have for them is immense. We’re so grateful for their skills, creativity, and dedication. Some staff have been with us from the outset and as our reputation has grown, we’ve been able to recruit a fantastic team with the skill set to match.”

KEEPING IT REAL

Freshness lies at the heart of the Pitchfork and Provision philosophy, which dovetails with their commitment to keeping things simple when it comes to ingredients. Their ethos embodies a return to a slower, more thoughtful way of enjoying food. The business name itself hints at this connection: a nod to the land, provenance, and the essential simplicity of food.

“We’ve built our business around sourdough, which requires just three ingredients: flour, salt, and water— along with one essential element: time. So much of the food we eat today is far removed from its original source with ultra processed foods often having an endless list of ingredients that bear little resemblance to anything natural. Our mission is to bring back real food— to

use the best quality raw ingredients to make something tasty, fresh, and wherever possible, local and seasonal”, explains Gareth.

Right now, seasonality is showcased on the café counter with the vibrant pink of forced rhubarb adorning a delicious pastry. Come the warmers months, it may take the form of sweet, juicy and perfectly ripe tomatoes. The café menu also mirrors this seasonal focus, currently featuring a hearty stew made with locally grown Dinefwr beef, perfect for a cold winter’s day.

The café menu and the bakery counter change regularly - to be both seasonal and allow the staff to have the creative freedom to do what they do best. Their team What’s App group is a space for all to share ideas, ingredients and inspiration which often end up shaping new menus. “We switch things up every six weeks, as it keeps things fresh and exciting for everyone. That also means regularly having to try out the new creations - which is a tough job, yet someone has to do it” adds Rachel with a smile.

There’s no doubt that much of the success of the business is down to the owner’s absolute passion for food. “I live and breathe food,” says Rachel, eyes dancing as she speaks of it. “When I’m having breakfast, I’m already thinking about what’s for lunch…If I’m not cooking, I’m eating or I’m thinking about food!”

“For me, food is more than just our business, it’s my life,” she adds. “When mum offers to have the kids for the night, the first thing my husband and I do is plan a foodie getaway. We love discovering new places to

eat and new bakeries to visit. Recently, we went to Manchester, and I spent a week planning where to eat and we crammed in as many delights as the city had to offer”.

This passion for food and as importantly, for providing and sharing good food with others, clearly runs in her DNA as both Rachel’s mother and grandmother worked in catering.

“Growing up, cooking was – and still is, woven into the very fabric of our family life. Whether it’s a cawl on the stove in the winter months, bread in the oven or cakes for a celebration, there is always something on the go. If anyone mentions to my grandmother that they need a cake, within no time at all, she will have produced something delicious and made it look like the easiest thing in the world to do. She’s 95 now and she still produces 100 Welsh cakes a week to distribute among her six children and their families. It’s amazing”.

Family plays a big part in the business day to day as well, with Rachel’s mum and mother-in-law regularly on site, together with Gareth’s daughter, as well as there being a mum and daughter duo in the kitchen team. Rachel’s cousins are also part of the front of house staff.

“There is a real sense of being part of a big family here and we want to offer that feeling of community to our customers as well. I love being able to chat to people when they come in. I often learn about new trends or discover how things are done in other places, or countries, through these conversations.”

Many of the conversations that take place in the café are in the Welsh language, with Gareth and Rachel both being native speakers and keen to support the language across the business. Most of the staff are Welsh speakers and Rachel notes how the customers – particularly Welsh learners, really value the opportunity to be able to practice their Welsh in the shop. “People tell me how much they love the chance to speak Welsh with me and other members of the team. It feels good to be able to keep that part of our culture alive in the café”.

DELI DELIGHT

Alongside the bakery and café, Pitchfork and Provision also now includes a deli, currently located in the café. Though there had always been an intention to open a deli part of the business – hence the ‘provisions’ in the company’s name, the timing of it was quite serendipitous, Gareth reveals.

“There was a very well-established deli called the ‘Ginhaus’ in Llandeilo for years and it had a loyal following and an excellent range of products. In 2023, the year after we set up here, the owners - and indeed friends of ours, decided to close the business. Before we knew it, a deal was done and we were wheeling the fridges and stock up the high street in the dead of night, setting up the deli at Pitchfork into the early hours, soon to be followed by the Ginhaus staff the following morning”, recalls Gareth.

The deli now works hand in hand with the café and bakery, with the chefs making use of the products on the menu to help showcase them to customers. “It’s great being able to use the products in our food as it gives customers a chance to try before they buy and offers inspiration on how they can use the product at home. It’s also great to be able to champion so many Welsh producers and suppliers”. Local cheeses, smoked salmon, and home-made preserves all find their way into the café’s dishes, while Welsh crackers, wine, biscuits, coffee, chocolates and much more line the deli’s shelves.

Rachel explains “There is just so much great Welsh produce out there. One of the other benefits I’ve found from working with Cywain is that it’s really opened my eyes to what’s available here in Wales. Through the programme, we’ve networked and had a chance to meet other producers and suppliers which has helped us expand the range of Welsh products we list in the deli.”

With the deli currently occupying space in the café and a growing demand from trade customers wanting to buy their products for wholesale, the Pitchfork and Provision team has recently had to make some big decisions about the direction of the company’s growth.

“We currently supply several cafés, retail and hospitality sites, but we’re seeing an increasing demand for our wholesale offering which we can’t meet at the moment as we’re at capacity in terms of production. Our sourdough takes 36 hours to make on average and our croissants take three days from start to finish. While it’s a time intensive process, this is what drives the quality, and we’ll never compromise there. That means we have had to look at increasing the size of the bakery so that we can

produce more to meet demand while maintaining the same high standard”.

This has led to a pivotal decision: moving the bakery itself out of its current courtyard location into a larger unit nearby.

“It wasn’t an easy decision. There’s something truly special about having the bakery on-site and being able to point through the window and tell customers their bread was made right here. But this move is essential for the future of the business. It will allow us to double production, supply more wholesale customers and support innovation as well”, says Gareth.

Moving the bakery out of its current location also means that they can move the deli into that part of the building, allowing them to grow that side of the business and stock even more local suppliers as well as being able to increase seating capacity. Rachel is clearly looking forward to getting started. “There’s going to be a lot of changes this year, but each change has a positive knock-on effect on another part of the business”.

With so many plans to juggle, Rachel is grateful to have the ongoing support of her regional growth manager at Cywain to help her navigate decisions. “In addition to the bakery move, we’re also building a new website this year to have an online presence, so we continue to be so thankful to have guidance and access to expert, specialist advice through Cywain. That kind of help makes such a difference and gives us confidence in what we’re doing. It also allows us to have a greater impact as we grow, enabling us to support more Welsh suppliers, contribute more to the local economy, and, of course, share more of the food we love to make with the people who love to eat it.”

PITCHFORK AND PROVISION

RECIPE

FOR ST DAVID’S DAY:

Ingredients

• 150g Penclawdd cockles

• 50g Selwyn’s laver bread

• Knob of Welsh butter

• 1 clove of garlic

• 5 sprigs of chopped parsley

• Dash of white wine

• 2 slices of Myrddin Heritage Welsh bacon

• Slice of Pitchfork and Provision sourdough

Method

1. Place a non stick frying pan on the hob. Once warm fry the bacon till golden brown

2. Place the bacon to one side.

3. Using the same hot pan deglaze with the white wine, chopped garlic and butter then add both the cockles and laver bread.

4. Once warmed all through, pour over the toasted sour dough finishing off with grilled bacon.

5. Eat and enjoy!

The Sorting Room, Cardiff

In the heart of the city, a stone’s throw from the Millennium Stadium is The Sorting Room, the restaurant at Celtic Collection’s Park Gate Hotel and the perfect destination if you’re after a sense of occasion. Thanks to its Victorian grandeur and a splendid lobby - think pillars, high ceilings, lavish art deco decor and big brass revolving doors – the Park Gate is a throwback to a more glamourous age.

The building’s past, as Cardiff’s main post office, is celebrated in the appropriately named Sorting Room restaurant. There you will see some subtle, playful touches such as the envelope folded napkins accentuating the chic and inherently urbane style of sleek lines, cool lighting and welcoming, knowledgeable but understated service. In such a setting how could we begin the evening except with a cocktail? B chose the gin - a joyfully sophisticated concoction of dry champagne and Cygnet 22 gin with lemon and honey. Gently fizzing citrusiness. Dry, sweet and tart all at once. I went for the richly smooth (Mortal Bunny Spiced) Black Cherry Mojito, an intriguing take on a classic, the black cherry providing rounder, smoother and altogether more succulent notes than are found in a traditional mojito.

As you would expect from a Michelin-Guide-listed and 2-AA-Rosetted restaurant, The Sorting Room, is more than just a beautifully space. The well thought out menu combines the traditional with twists and contemporary dishes. Many use Welsh ingredients such as the nutty sourdough with salted Welsh butter and Halen Mon salt that we tucked into while choosing. To start, I opted for the intriguing Monmouthshire Pork & Chorizo Scotch Egg. A perfect crust and mellow soft egg beautifully balanced by the gentle paprika spiciness of the meat. B went for the Butternut Squash Soup with soft herby pancakes. Earthy and savoury with a deep-truffley loveliness that was perfect for a winter’s evening

For the mains, it had to be the Celebration of Welsh Lamb. An ingenious dish, demonstrating how versatile one ingredient can be when placed in expert hands. Different taste emphases and a variety of textures but all showcasing top-quality Welsh lamb. It comprised a herby rack, perfectly pink and tender, a gloriously meaty terrine and an individual shepherds’ pie. Welsh through and through, it was accompanied by moist pomme Anna and a sweet parsnip puree, and elevated further by a charred leek fondant, Welsh red wine jus and a coastal tang of laverbread. Tasty and witty while being altogether comforting, especially when combined with the totally indulgent truffle mash!

B went Welsh too, choosing the Mushroom, Leek and Hafod Wen Cheese Pie. A classic, executed faultlessly. A beautiful, round and golden crisp exterior, with a piping hot, hearty, creamy inner. The harmonious, umami flavours of leek, mushroom and mature cheddar were all enhanced by a rich Glamorgan ale

gravy. We both felt we had chosen well and washed it all down with a pleasingly soft and smooth Réserve de L’Abbé, Côtes du Rhône.

And so to puddings. For me the Sticky Toffee Pudding. Deep, dense, dark, and intensely delicious with a gently sweet smokiness from toffee sauce, fortified with Penderyn whisky and smoothly cool honeycomb ice cream. As suggested, I paired it with a Graham’s White Port, complementing the whole with its dry sweetness. B went for the Paris-Brest, a joy to behold – salted caramel and almond choux pastry, bursting with extravagant Welsh Chantilly and crème anglaise, bejewelled with sharp berry coulis and glittering with gold. It tasted just as good as it looked. Paired with a delightful Sauterne dessert wine with honeyed notes that completed the experience.

The Sorting Room fully deserves its accolades and is without doubt a destination in its own right, and way too good to be left to the lucky few visiting the hotel.

www.theparkgatehotel.wales

The Bank, Barmouth

Niall Griffiths, Wales’ foremost living literary icon (arguably) rejoins the taste.blas team, with a review of a Barmouth institution

Ah, Barmouth; the most un-Welsh of Welsh coastal towns. Visit in the summer months and you’d be forgiven for thinking you’d mistakenly caught the train to Birmingham. It’s just west of Walsall. Close to Cradley Heath. Amusement arcades, dodgems, candy floss etc. A plethora of good chippies (more than you can shake a haddock goujon at, for a town this size), a handful of decent pubs (and grub therein), a couple of not-bad-ish eateries. On a winter’s night, though, with the rain coming in aslant and greasy and cold off the Irish sea, a place like The Bank is not just welcome but vital; a low-lit and inviting haven, sanctuary from the weather. As much about shelter as it is about food.

Megan is the owner, Ryan is the chef. Both local; Ryan an alumni of Coleg Harlech. Opened the restaurant

in 2016, with a commitment to ‘not do chips’. They’ve survived Brexit and covid. They took over - as the name tells you - a Bank in the town centre and turned it into an intimate, cosy cwtch. There’s the clink of cutlery and the murmur of relaxed voices, although later, as the wine flows, the group in the corner will bellow a lovely harmonised ‘Penblwydd hapus y ti’, and this is as it should be, celebratory and uplifting and, well, fun. There’s a classily-lit, Parisian bistro vibe, the main difference being that, here, the front-of-house staff are unintrusively attentive and intuitive and a pleasure to give your order too.

The crispy seaweed appetiser is just that: laver, not cabbage, black-green and redolent of the shore a few minutes’ stroll away. It comes with a punchy aïoli dip, and there’s no way of consuming this without getting your fingers sticky, but no bother; that’s what napkins are for. The goat’s cheese truckle is a creamy, grassy, lemony disc, sweetened with honey and earthed by beetroot and with the surprise of crunchy walnut. The belly pork surrenders itself at the mere sight of a fork-prong and the scallops are the right side of chewysmooth.

The Hungarian wine, from a decent list, recalls green apples and escorts the sea bass down the gullet wonderfully. The fish, perfectly cooked, comes on a bed of noodles and stir-fried vegetables with a whisper of Thai green curry, which, outside of a Chinatown, was an interesting way to season a sea bass; it threatened to overshadow the delicacy of the fish. A purist may scoff, as is their wont, but it made for an intriguing plate. The ribeye steak (a bold choice of cut, really), however, wallowed in a deep, rich, gorgeously umami-unctuous red wine gravy (it’s not a jus! It’s a gravy!), and the dauphinoise potatoes came as a savoury millefeuille, buttery and silky under a grilled top of crunch. My companion - slight as she is - hoovered the lot up. Every last shred of spud, every last green bean.

And the vanilla panacotta; how I love panacotta, and how this was one to love, to adore, to marry, forsaking all others. A cloud of sweet and syrupy joy, complemented by the pleasing cloy of prunes and hazelnut praline. A thing of wonder that, I’m only slightly embarrassed to admit, took me back to childhood and had me doing a little shoulder jig of joy in my seat (yes, that happy food-dance was once prompted by butterscotch Angel Delight, but I’m an adult now).

The cheeseboard was an array of Welsh favouritesCenarth Brie, Perl Las, Black Bomber Cheddar, and the star of Golden Cenarth. Measure this in air-inches rather than air-miles. Full, at this point, we doggybagged the cheese and went back out into the night, into what Dylan Thomas called ‘the winter-back-street dripping oily vinegar smell of fish and chips’. The rain lashed but I was replete and warmed and satisfied.

The Bank, High Street, Barmouth, Gwynedd, LL42 1DW; tel: 01341 281400; e-mail: info@thebankrestaurantbarmouth.co.uk thebankrestaurantbarmouth.co.uk

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Find us on Facebook and Instagram for inspirational recipes @Castledairies CastleDairies.co.uk

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Destination

Plum Crazy

Myfanwy Alexander goes mad for the Vale of Clwyd, home of the Denbigh plum

The Vale of Clwyd is one of the most fruitful areas in Wales, the only area containing Grade A land. Therefore, much excellent food is produced there, including some iconic brands, many of which are available in Siop y Pentre in Llanrhaedr - the retail branch of the Welsh Food Company. They champion local producers like Clyttir Eggs, support social enterprises such as Mostyn Kitchen Gardens, and provide a range of hampers, including a build your own option where you select items from their rangethe possibilities are endless.

If I were picking contents for a WFC hamper, it would have to contain Patchwork pate from Rhuthin. If you associate pate with rather desperate Nineties dinner parties, prepare to change your mind: Patchwork’s range are contemporary and innovative, retaining their traditional quality. My own favourites are the Patridge and Pear, which gets the balance of gaminess just right and the Peppered Mackerel. They have recently joined the Hilltop food family: it will be interesting to see if this impacts their range.

Another Welsh product favourite in this area is Llaeth y Llan yoghurt, either as a straight-from-the-fridge treat or mixed with fruit puree for a quick pudding. All the predictable flavours are joined by varieties like Gooseberry and Coconut and the range includes protein yogurts and keffir. Gareth and Falmai Roberts recently won a hugely Lifetime Achievement award from the Farmers’ Union of Wales and indeed, the story of Llaeth y Llan, with its rooted food values and unashamed Welsh branding is a template for other companies.

Gareth Roberts may be a modern producer but he retains a respect for an interest in the heritage of his

home area, naturally including food history. On his farm in Llannefydd, he has planted an orchard of 80 Denbigh plum trees - a native variety with PDO status. Records date the Denbigh Plum back to 1785, making the golden-spotted fruit Wales’ oldest plum but tradition pushes it back to the 13th Century. It’s a large, naturally sweet variety and much juicier than its more well-known rivals, such as the Victoria. Its exceptional flavour has been exploited by many local companies from small batch gin to baked goods to sauces for meat, many of which are showcased at the annual Denbigh Plum Feast, held on the first weekend in October each year.

A long-term friend of the Plum Feast is chef and forager Rob Dowell-Brown. Rob and his wife Vicky demonstrate their passion for local food in their restaurant and bar, the Nant-y-felin in Pentre Llanrhaedr. They grow much of their own produce, bake their own bread and their ice-cream is a real highlight. Amongst the range of flavours, the toasted hazelnut and the marmalade deserve particular mention, as does their legendary sourdough bread. Foraged ingredients naturally feature strongly and the use of a wood fired pizza oven to roast vegetables is inspired. Nant-y-Felin is not to be missed and also provides excellent value for money in these straightened times.

Being a renowned farming area, there are good local butchers about, like Daniel Morris in Denbigh where, as well as plenty of choice of locally produced traditional cuts, like the excellent short ribs, there are ready prepared meals for busy people, like the gloriously named nacho cheese steak bomb. Daniel is a passionate advocate for the benefits of local produce and his arguments about quality, nutrition, traceability

Dining

and environmental benefits would convert the most hardened supermarket consumer. J H Jones is another local butcher with an enviable reputation. As well as the retail customers who are so forthcoming with praise and five-star reviews, J H Jones provides meat to local catering businesses, including the Chain and Sprocket Cafe in Rhuthin. I assume people riding motorbikes know good meat when they taste it and the bikers at the Chain and Sprocket return in their droves for the J H Jones based Sunday lunch.

The fortunate inhabitants of Rhuthin have access to the popular Becws Islyn too, whose home-baked treats have been known to generate queues stretching out of the shop and down the street: those queues may have something to do with the ‘honey’ buns. The traditional recipe did include honey in the distant past but today’s popular product, developed from the old style, features a rich butter dough glazed with a gooey syrup. They are best eaten fresh: I was tempted to break the firm rule about not eating in the street!

Rhuthin boasts a number of good places to eat out. I went to ‘Small Plates’ with a friend who is both gluten intolerant and what I would describe as ‘veggie adjacent,’ in that she has become such an expert in cooking for her vegan children that she has pretty well lost her taste for meat and she was delighted by the options available. The Indian Spiced Charred Cauliflower could be made without gluten and I went ‘charred’ as well, with the Slow Cooked Pork Shoulder, which was accompanied by a celeriac cream – a splendid combination.

Almost hidden in the corner of St Peter’s Square, another Rhuthin highlight is Number 11 that treats its vegetarian customers well. Having a ‘hummus of the week’ shows a lot of commitment to a sometimesneglected starter. Scallops and pea puree is on the borderline between classic and outdated but teamed with pig cheeks was anything but stale and my theory that vegetarian alternatives should never be

veggie versions of meaty staples was disproved by the vegetarian ‘black pudding’ bon-bon. A young friend who lives locally tells me that Number 11 is the place for a bottomless brunch: I’ll take that on trust.

The Vale of Clwyd has plenty of excellent pubs, often combining good quality with a real local feel. The Griffin in Llanbedr Dyffryn Clwyd did not take long to bounce back after a fire in early 2023 and serves just the sort of quality local food you would hope to find in a country pub, such as their Garlic Mushrooms with a Perl Las Sauce. The Drovers in Rhewl outside Rhuthin has many fans: the leap of faith made by the couple who took the place over in the middle of COVID has clearly paid off, picking up several recent awards, including the Restaurant Guru Best Service prize. The Dinobren Arms in Bodfari is spacious, even when busy, with plenty of room inside and out. The food is reliable, with lots of choice and a Marches feel to the sourcing with sausages from Market Drayton’s Buttercross Farm and the splendid Arctic Slices which are the result of co-operation between Cheshire Farms Ice Cream and Denbigh’s celebrated Henllan Bakery as evidenced by recent awards, including the Restaurant Guru Best Service prize.

I’m bringing my dash round Clwyd to an end with mention of another of the areas’ iconic brands, Henllan Bakery. I should make my own bread but I choose either their convenient and airy brown rolls or the nutty but not gritty Harvester, a granary loaf your fillings won’t hate you for eating. The Moore family have been baking since 1908, adding ranges such as cakes, pies and ‘morning goods,’ mixing of tradition and innovation. You don’t have to be a child to appreciate the nostalgic appeal of the Henllan School Cake, with its glossy icing and generous coating of coloured sprinkles but it is a lunchbox staple. From scenic slopes through broad and fertile valleys, Clwyd takes food seriously and invites visitors to do the same.

Caroline Sarll Food Days

for Thought

Keeping things metaphorically fresh - in the kitchen department - is getting increasingly hard. Overnight, it would seem, I am hurtling towards what we babyboomers euphemistically deem “late middle age”. Ugh. Now o cially a sap (Suddenly Approaching Pension), it is sapping me in terms of culinary inventiveness. From my senescence-driven stocktake, I reckon I’ve consumed roughly 60,000 meals so far - that’s one helluvalot of “What Shall We Eat Today?” convos. ese days, Mr. Meatmuncher and I o en eaton-repeat and don’t produce a satisfying solution until hangriness forces the fork of comestible creativity at 7pm. It’s gastronomic Groundhog Day.

What to do? I once had a BBC Wales series exploring curious Celebration Days. National Button Day, Lost Sock Memorial Day and National Hug A Plumber Day (seriously?) were amongst the wackiest. So, in a bid to make my next sixty years interesting (my surname is really Sanguine-Sarll), I will be staving o dietary drudgery by embracing some whimsical Food Days. Welsh-style, wrth gwrs.

Dydd Gwyl Dewi is a good starter - it’s also (who knew?) National Barista Day and National Peanut Butter Lover’s Day. Apparently, 43% of Welsh households eat peanut butter at least once a week, so zhuzh up your leek-loaded Glammy Crumble with lashings of Meridian’s moreish Wrexham PB. eir lightly sea-salted, skins-on crunchy version is sooo indulgent. Follow with a complementary, creamy cappu from Poblado Co , roasted and blended in Nantlle. eir anaerobically fermented, ethically sourced Ugandan Mahango co ee has a chocolatey twist and, to my non-connoisseur palate, near-nectarine nuances (hark at me, using cupping notes). It’s a mellow infusion, trumpeting quality and sustainability and makes you feel good physically and morally. And the slow-down, be-your-own-barista cafetiere ritual is a tonic. Trust me. You don’t get this in an instant.

March, let’s face it, is Bunyan’s Slough Of Despond, torrential enough to leave us Sunak-soggy and depressed. It cries out for comforting stodge to get us into Spring. ankfully, the 3rd to the 9th boasts British Pie Week. A pie is the archetypal metaphor for life, a complete lottery until that rst bite reveals its inners – at or ful lling. Wilfreds Pies, 90 years young next year, is a Swansea-based brand which does not

disappoint. eir Sweet Cheesus bulges with bechamel and creamy Collier’s cheddar, and the Spicy Veggie is a planty, pulsey melange, piquant and warming enough to halve your heating bills. Win, win. eir apple and caramel crumble pie is multi-exclamatory, mouth-wateringly divine- the best thing I’ve eaten this year. For homespun hygge, try parsnip and carrot, adding amber-hued, annatto-imbued Trefaldwyn Blue cheese - densely buttery and lingeringly tangy. Or butternut squash, cashew and ginger, showered with Dragon’s peerless Platinum or Ruby Vintage cheddar. Mmmmmm.

On March 7th, I’ll defo be getting my oats (now, now)literally, if you please.

It’s National Flapjack Day, healthier than you’d think (Syrup? Sssshhh). Oats contain cholesterol-busting beta-glucan and if you go rogue, adding blended chickpeas or sweet potato, you’ve got a powerhouse of protein to boot. Llanrwst’s succulent Siwgr a Sbeis apjaciau are a near-illicit, come-hither collusion of said-syrup, butter and fruit. eir chewy Bara Brith chunk is patriotism on a plate. I found myself humming the Cwm Rhondda refrain with every bite.

April the 19th is a whizz-bang of a day. It’s National Garlic Day AND, whoopty-do – my birthday! I discovered this personal link to the glorious “stinking rose” when eating at the eponymous restaurant in San Francisco. e aroma as we approached is still with me. An olfactory Siren, it was a tram-stopping synthesis of potent, oniony wa s and a winsome perfume. Paradoxically alluring. I’ll mark this allicindrenched day with Rhapsody cloves from Pili Pala Garlic Farm of Powys. Tom Edwards’ chemical-free, purple-streaked, so -necked variety (fab term, like a newborn’s nape) is redolent of rustic picnics and makes a dreamy, anchovy-free bagna cauda - a warm bath of rejuvenatingly oily, sweetly pungent oven roasted bulbs. One dip and you really will look as young as your Whatsapp pro le pic. Promise.

May boasts International Humous Day, Walnut Day and World Whisky Day. What better way to keep the feed-me res burning than a glass of Aber Falls Single Malt? My what-to-eat ennui evaporated in one sip. And with all those excuses to eat in maverick-menu style, I’m cured. Feeeeed me no-ow a-and evermooooore…..

Hold the front page

Everton clinches the double

A Mid Wales college lecturer has become only the second chef to win the Junior and National Chef of Wales titles in consecutive years. Coleg Ceredigion catering lecturer Sam Everton, 26, from Llangeler, emulated Danny Burke, from Connah’s Quay, who achieved back-to-back wins 25 years ago.

And Danny, who now runs Olive Tree Catering in Runcorn, was one of the final judges. Sam, who also works at Cardigan’s Yr Hen Printworks, edged out nine other finalists at the Welsh International Culinary Championships, hosted by the Culinary Association of Wales at ICC Wales.

Sam cooked a starter of PGI leek and seaweed mosaic, puffed potato and yeast, followed by a main course of Ceredigion beef fillet, beef cheek tartlet, truffle and preserved allium. Dessert was 54% chocolate cremeux with Welsh honey butter, yoghurt and Barti rum. He will now represent Wales in the Global Chef Challenge final at next year’s Worldchefs Congress & Expo.

“I decided to enter after hearing Danny was the only chef to win the competitions back-to-back, but never in my wildest dreams did I think I would win,” said Sam. “It’s another one to tick off my bucket list. Meanwhile, Junior Culinary Team of Wales captain Calum Smith added the Junior Chef of Wales title to his growing list of honours.

Calum, who works at Shrewsbury School for Independents at Sodexo, clinched the title after beating three rival chefs in the final.

CAW president Arwyn Watkins revealed around 800 delegates would attend the four-day Worldchefs Congress & Expo 2026 event which is being held in the UK for the first time.

“It will showcase our culture, heritage and food and drink products on the theme ‘Pasture, Passion, Plate’,” he told guests at the WICC Gala Dinner and Award Ceremony.

Aber Falls take the plunge

North Wales-based distillery Aber Falls have relaunched their award-winning gins in a new bottle shape, nicknamed the ‘Waterfall Bottle,’ inspired by the famous waterfall near the distillery.

The new bottles also prominently display the Welsh dragon on the front and the Triquetra (Celtic Knot) on the bottom.

The slimmer and taller design also creates a smooth and easy pour and offers a neat fit behind the bars and pubs across the country.

Aber Falls’ much-loved Welsh Dry Gin and Orange Marmalade Gin are the first to move into the new bottle, with the other products following suit in 2025.

www.aberfallsdistillery.com

North Wales dairy is top of the pots

Llaeth y Llan, the trail-blazing North Wales dairy which famously began life in an airing cupboard, will mark their 40th anniversary with a summer party for staff and families.

Founded in 1985 by Llannefydd farmers Gareth and Falmai Roberts, they also promise ‘some fantastic giveaways and competitions throughout the year’.

The couple were farming fifty cows and had three young children as well as a milk round when Falmai trailed two buckets of milk in the airing cupboard with their youngest’s nappies over the top. And that was how Llaeth y Llan launched in 1985!

The business has gone from strength to strength since their first pot of yoghurt was sold in an Abergele butcher’s shop – with products sold in Dubai, Hong Kong and Abu Dhabi.

Eldest son Owain runs the business and Llaeth y Llan employ around sixty local staff.

A South Wales customer recently related how Llaeth Y Llan yoghurts had made a positive difference to her 90-year-old grandmother’s life.

“In the last few years Alzheimer’s and Dementia have very sadly taken so much from her, but one of her greatest joys has always been her Llaeth Y Llan yoghurts,” she said.

“Having a decision to make every day about which flavour yoghurt she would like gives her a tiny bit of her independence back.

“Your yoghurts have been bringing my nan so much comfort and joy and have allowed us to keep connecting and communicating through this horrible illness.”

villagedairy.co.uk

Puffin help wage war on food waste

Puffin Produce have teamed up with food redistribution charity FareShare to rescue edible surplus food and distribute it to charities and community groups across the UK.

“These partnerships highlight the vital work that needs to be done to make use of surplus food,” says Matthew Thomas, Puffin’s Head of Sales and Marketing.

The Pembrokeshire company support the charity’s ‘Surplus with Purpose’ scheme, which works to cover the extra costs of redistributing unsold food to prevent it going to waste.

To date, produce donated by Puffin has been used to create two million meals for people in need across Wales. www.puffinproduce.com

Net gain!

The Wrexham Lager Beer Co, the oldest lager brand in the UK, has secured an exciting partnership in Hungary with leading importers and distributors of beer, Drink Station.

Servicing both the on and off trade, Hungary will see Wrexham Lager, Wrexham Export and Wrexham Pilsner hit the market in the 440ml can, 330ml bottle and 5L keg formats.

Now co-owned by Hollywood stars Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds, alongside the Roberts family from Wrexham who took over the running of the brewery in 2011, the new listing follows the company’s successful expansion into the US, Australian and Scandinavian markets.

www.wrexhamlager.com

Enter the Dragon

Dragon cheese is now available in Aldi stores throughout Wales this March in time to celebrate St David’s Day.

Wales’s largest dairy co-operative, South Caernarfon Creameries, have secured distribution of Dragon to all major supermarkets in Wales with their newest partnership with Aldi.

With over 70 Aldi stores located across Wales and the borders, the deal further solidifies Dragon’s position within the retail sector.

Nick Beadman, Head of Commercial at SCC said: “This expansion into all major supermarkets in Wales not only increases the availability of Dragon but also supports Welsh farmers and promotes the rich dairy heritage of Wales.”

sccwales.co.uk

Smokery fires up

Ceredigion Preseli MP Ben Lake has opened an extension of a food processing facility at the Welsh Smokery in the heart of the Cambrian Mountains which will increase their capacity hugely.

Solar panels means the smokery is now off-grid for electricity – it also has its own water supply, ground source heating and hot water and on-site composting and has increased its workforce by 200 per cent over the last year.

welshsmokery.co.uk

Brazil nuts!

And those clever people at Welsh Brew Tea have used their extensive knowledge and experience to launch their new Welsh Brew Brazilian Freeze Dried Coffee, described as the perfect way to end the afternoon or –to keep going until sunrise.

The dark and intoxicating strong roast is described as ‘a delicious South American-style coffee with body and strength from the first mouthful to the last’.

www.welshbrewtea.co.uk

Local heroes

Down in Talog, a small community eight miles out of Carmarthen, the Talog Farmers Market has proved a real ‘rags to riches’ story since being set up in 2012 to supply local people with locally-produced food. Having initially been funded by expenses with money received from stallholders, the market applied to become a Community Interest Company last year and are now developing other events under their Marchnad Ffermwyr Talog brand.

talogfarmersmarket.wales

The nutritional qualities of red meat

It is a well-known fact that a healthy diet is essential for good health and nutrition. But how many people understand the importance of consuming red meat? Not enough!

A study undertaken by Atomik Research on behalf of Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales (HCC) recently highlighted a startling knowledge gap amongst UK consumers in the nutritional value of including red meat in a balanced diet.

Only a quarter of the people surveyed knew that protein from red meat helps to defend the body from disease and under a third were aware that it is a good source of vitamins such as B12, which helps the immune system function properly. Just 33% of consumers knew that red meat can help boost your metabolism, and under half were aware it can help you maintain a healthy diet.

These results support HCC’s crucial mission to educate consumers on the health benefits of Welsh Lamb and Welsh Beef which are an excellent, natural source of vitamins and minerals. The nutrients they offer are important for our health at all stages in life – during pregnancy, for children as they grow, and for adults to maintain good health.

HCC has accelerated its efforts to target red meat misinformation by responding to a demand for evidence-based materials. This includes the launch of a new newsletter aimed at health professionals and attendance at the Royal College of Midwives’ St David’s Day Conference in Cardiff on 28 February. It also has a dedicated website for teachers which provides a range of lesson plans, animations and recipes for educators to use with pupils from the Foundation Phase to Key Stage 4.

Government guidelines state that a healthy, balanced diet can include up to 70g per day of lean, red meat. Welsh Lamb and Welsh Beef combine well with pulses and vegetables resulting in delicious, high-quality balanced meals for families to enjoy.

To sign up to the newsletter, or view HCC’s free resources, visit: www.redmeathub.wales

Welsh Beef Rendang

Prep time: 30 mins

Cook time: 2 hrs 30 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 800g PGI Welsh Beef stewing steak, diced

• 1 tbsp oil

• 4 kaffir lime leaves (dried)

• 2 star anises

• 2 cinnamon sticks

• 8 cloves

• 1 can of coconut milk

• 200ml water

• 1 lemon, juiced

• 1 tbsp dark brown sugar

• 4 tbsp desiccated coconut

For the rendang paste

• 1 onion, roughly chopped

• 2 large red chillies, deseeded and chopped

• 6 garlic cloves, chopped

• 2.5cm piece fresh ginger, chopped

• ½ tsp ground ginger

• 1 tbsp ground coriander

• 1 tsp ground cumin

• 1 tsp ground black pepper

• ½ tsp salt

• 1 tsp lemongrass paste

• A little water

Method

You can buy prepared rendang paste but have a go at making your own. It may look like a lot of ingredients but it’s very easy to make and you’ll have most of the ingredients in your store cupboard already. It’s also delicious!

1. Make the paste by putting all the ingredients in a food processor and blitz together for a smooth paste.

2. Toast the coconut by placing in a dry frying pan and heat, stirring all the time, until it turns a nice golden brown colour.

3. Heat the oil in a large pan or flameproof casserole dish, add the star anise, cinnamon sticks and cloves and allow to sizzle on a medium heat for a minute.

4. Add the paste to the pan, the kaffir lime leaves and stir for a couple of minutes.

5. Add the beef, coconut milk and water and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and cook for 1 hour 30 minutes – 2 hours.

6. Add the sugar, lemon juice and 3 tbsp of the toasted coconut. Stir, cover with a lid, and cook for approximately 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the meat is tender. You have a fairly dry consistency.

7. To serve, sprinkle over the remaining coconut. Great served with cooked rice and a tomato and coriander salad.

www.eatwelshlambandwelshbeef.com

Crunchy Welsh Lamb Lollipops

Prep time: 30 mins

Cook time: 10 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• PGI Welsh Lamb cutlets, French trimmed

• Oil to cook

• Seasoning

For the salsa:

• 1 red onion

• 2 shallots, or 1 small onion

• ½ tsp sea salt

• 2 tbsp capers

• 1 red chilli, chopped

• 8 baby plum tomatoes

• 120ml extra virgin olive oil

• Handful of flat leaf parsley

• Handful of coriander

• Handful of mint

• 1 lime, juiced and rind

• Pinch of sugar

For the crispy lemon crumb:

• 150g fresh breadcrumbs

• 30g butter

• 2 lemons, rind

Method

1. To make the salsa, blitz all the ingredients together for a few minutes or if making by hand, chop all the ingredients finely and combine. This will keep in a sealed jar for a few days.

2. To make the crispy crumb, melt the butter in a frying pan, add the breadcrumbs and stir over medium heat until they become golden, then stir in the lemon rind. Allow to cool.

3. To prepare the cutlets, heat up some oil in a large frying pan and add the cutlets, season and fry for 3 – 4 minutes each side.

4. To serve, dip each cutlet into the salsa mixture and then into the crispy crumb.

www.eatwelshlambandwelshbeef.com

Maple bacon brownies

Prep time: 20 mins

Cook time: 40 mins

Serves: 5+

Ingredients

• 100g streaky bacon (thin rashers, nely chopped)

• 2 tbsp maple syrup

• 150g so unsalted butter

• 200g so light brown sugar

• 50g golden caster sugar

• 75g cocoa powder

• 150g plain our

• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

• 4 large eggs, beaten

• 150g chopped dark chocolate chips

Method

Make these maple bacon brownies with crispy bacon, dark chocolate, and maple syrup for a sweet and savory treat that everyone will love. is recipe makes approximately 12 brownies.

1. Line and grease a square 10 inch baking tin. Preheat the oven to 190°C / 170ºC fan / Gas 5.

2. Heat a non-stick frying pan and when warm, add the streaky bacon and stir until the bacon starts to crisp.

3. Add the maple syrup, stirring the mixture again to combine. Transfer the bacon mixture to a bowl for later.

4. Over a gentle heat, melt the butter in a saucepan. Once melted, add the sugars, stirring with a wooden spoon.

5. Remove the pan from the heat and add the cocoa powder, our, bicarbonate of soda and stir.

6. Add the beaten eggs and stir again.

7. Add the chopped dark chocolate and the bacon mixture. Fold the mixture together until evenly combined, then add to the baking tin.

8. Cook in the centre of the oven for 25 minutes. Once cooked, remove the tin from the oven and place on a rack to cool.

9. Cut the warm brownies into squares and serve with ice-cream.

www.porcblasus.cymru

Food & Drink Reviews

Monty’s Brewery

As you’ll have noticed in our Investment piece, great things are happening at award-winning Monty’s Brewery, located as the name would suggest close to Montgomery, Powys. With additional investment in the company Russ and Pam have had brand spruce up and can expand, adding new varieties to their existing range while carrying on brewing top quality contemporary craft ales. And the couple are keen to look after everyone who enjoys a real ale or stout, including those needing their drinks to be gluten-free (GF). We selected three from their extensive bottle conditioned range to review, wanting to cover both their more traditional and GF offerings. Masquerade is a golden GF bitter with a lot going on. It is fragrant with a slightly fruity tang and a malty, biscuity chewiness that is not too hoppy. A proper lovely beer we could have drunk all night long. Mischief, a golden ale is hoppier and slightly less bitter than Masquerade. It has a similarly moreish, biscuity profile but feels a wee bit lighter and extremely refreshing. And onto Dark Secret, a deep, full-bodied GF stout, with a lingering mellowness and deep chocolate and mocha notes. Super smooth and marvellously rich.

montysbrewery.co.uk

Cradoc’s Gluten-Free Crackers

Avid readers of TB will remember how much we enjoyed Cradoc’s sustainably-crafted crackers, baked in Brecon using locally sourced ingredients. Having been wowed by their original range we were excited to hear that the baker-ladies have brought all of their expertise and passion to creating crackers for those unable to eat gluten. Cradoc’s are keeping art close to their heart, with vibrant packaging, capturing the essence of each cracker. We started with the traditional Cheddar Cheese and Chives. Despite being gluten-free, these had the usual Cradoc’s snap – clean, crisp and delicious with a gentle cheesiness and subtle hints of chive. We enjoyed them alone, but loved them slathered with cream cheese and a slice of ripe tomato. Next, we sampled the Rosemary and Garlic, their Mediterranean flavours again delightful alone, but wonderful with a rich, cool mozzarella or laden with houmous. And finally, the Chilli, Ginger & Cumin. With a kick like a very spicy mule, these well and truly blew our socks off. We loved them dipped in raita and mango chutney and then used them to scoop up our Friday night curry. When did gluten-free get this good?

cradocssavourybiscuits.co.uk

Gower Gin – Jin G�yr

We have long been fans of Gower Gin, distilled with botanicals foraged from the first designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, their Gŵyr Original being a staple of our drinks’ cabinet. So, we greeted new arrival, Port Eynon Gin with enthusiastic anticipation that was not misplaced. PEG is Navy (or as Gŵyr put it, Culver Hole) Strength and at 60% it certainly packs a punch, putting hairs on your chest when sipped straight, while still offering herby botanical hints. However, when paired with tonic the botanicals really sing. A little PEG goes a long way so there were no doubles for us. Alongside the undertones of juniper and slightly rounder hedgerow hints of sloe and blackberry we detected a pleasingly, briny tang of the sea, courtesy of botanicals such as samphire gathered from the shoreline.

And then from one extreme to another we sampled Gŵyr’s Sero/Zero, alcohol-free ‘gin’. As you would expect this has a cleaner and lighter profile than their usual offering, and when combined with a tonic makes a refreshingly zesty alternative, perfect for any occasion when you want a grown-up drink, but would rather walk on the lighter side.

www.thegowergincompany.wales

The Bees’ Knees –Hive Mind Honeyades

New from those busy-bees at Hive Mind, is Honeyade. Currently available in two flavours, with more to come, Honeyade is a soft-drink, produced from honey, sourced from their own or neighbouring bee-keepers’ hives in the beautiful Wye Valley and beyond. As with their outstanding mead, the Honeyade is as natural a product as possible, aligning with Hive Mind’s strong ethical values, being environmentally sustainable and made with minimal processing. As always, they’ve put honey up-front and centre-stage. Honeyade is a new concept, so we were keen to try them both. The Lime & Mint was crisply fizzy with sweetly citrus opening, followed by a sharper minty freshness, softened with a gentle honeyed loveliness. Stunning stuff. And the Just Honey, what can we say? Light, sparkling and not too sweet. Almost an oxymoron being cool, light and refreshing, while also warm, soft and round. We adored it, both as we sipped it and afterwards as a honeyed smoothness lingered in the mouth and throat. Honeyade could and should be a real game changer for soft-drinks. Bee-autiful!

hivemindmead.com

Bug Farm Cricket Cookies

As part of our dedication to Welsh food, although we are used to sampling (munching our way through) a wide variety of bakes, we have never reviewed anything made from insects. Hence there was a definite tremor to Taster-in-chief’s ‘OK’ when asked to sample Bug Farm Food’s Cricket Cookies. From the family farm in St Davids, Dr Sarah Beynon (entomologist) and her chef husband, Andy Holcraft are demonstrating that paying attention to the insects around us, and using them thoughtfully in conservation, farming and the food chain, can have a positive effect, not just on the environment, but also on world food and health inequalities. Enter their Bug Café and of course the beautiful tubes of Cricket Cookies in front of us. But the big question for TB is, what do they taste like? First, we sampled the Chocolate Chip Cricket Cookies. These felt a little denser in the mouth than a standard cookie. While pleasingly sweet, there was also a satisfying malty savouriness (courtesy of the ground cricket) that was beautifully complemented by the sumptuous chocolate chips. On to the Mocha Chilli Crunch, a different beast all together. While the cricket umami remained, this was harder to detect alongside the rich intensity of coffee and dark chocolate and the sharp jolt of the chilli. A total blast and we will definitely be going back for more. But as the protein content of the cookies is so high (20 crickets per cookie), by Jiminy, each cookie feels like a deliciously substantial snack in itself.

www.thebugfarm.co.uk/shop

Karamat Indian Spice Concentrates

Strictly speaking Karamat are not made in Wales, nor are their ingredients grown in Wales. A departure for us. But there’s a very good reason why Castell Howell now own the UK rights – the best way to get the freshest and best quality spices is to have them grown, mixed, prepared and packed at source by people who really know what they’re doing. Which is precisely what Karamat does. Instead of dull, stale, sub-standard spices you get the vibrant flavours of Indian spices that have been harvested, ground, mixed and packed in a matter of days, not months. Add to this a unique and easy prep (simply mix with water to make the sauce) and anyone can be a curry maestro in minutes - perfect for busy restaurant kitchens or time poor foodies. And they’re healthy too with no additives or preservatives, and sugar added during cooking at your discretion. The Korma was delightfully aromatic, with pitchperfect hints of coconut and almond, full of delicate flavours and the lightest touch of chili. The Masala just as good but richer, with tomatoes taking centre stage and a tad more heat. A great take on Brit classic. The excellent Jalfrezi was more complex, with heavier spices, a zap of ginger, plenty of peppers and more heat. All were easily restaurant quality and far better than anything you’d find in a supermarket or wholesaler. Currently available to the trade, with retail packs on the way and more flavours to come – great news for curry lovers!

www.castellhowellfoods.co.uk

Cygnet G&T’s-to-go

As the days are getting longer and the sun is lingering in the West, our thoughts are turning to warm summer days, lazily picnicking by the sea or long twinkling evenings, soaking up sounds at a music festival. And of course, being TB we are starting to plan the food and drinks we will be enjoying. Enter Cygnet’s handcrafted, individually canned Gin & Tonics. What could be better than a properly mixed, top-quality G&T you can take anywhere? And the classic drink loses nothing for being canned. A crisply clean sparkle, robust juniper tones with spicy coriander and zesty, citrussy highnotes, all complemented by a dry quinine foundation. And Cygnet being Cygnet, attention to detail is everything, even the cans are beautifully designed. We would expect nothing less from Katherine and her team. Roll on Glyndebourne, Glasto, Greenman and the Proms!

cygnet-distillery.com

Aperoffi - Grounds For Good

Something that lightens long winter days is dreaming of holidays, while treating ourselves to a beautifully prepared cocktail. When our fancy tipple is not only Welsh, but also has the best of environmental credentials (cardboard bottle no less), then we feel justified indulging. Aperoffi from G4G, is their very own take on the Italian classic, Aperol. As with G4G’s other drinks, it is distilled over recycled coffee grounds (Aperoffi-coffi get it?) using ingredients that would otherwise be wasted, allowing the spirit to draw in that smooth coffee aroma. True to the original we made a spritz, combining the vividly orange Aperoffi with prosecco, soda and a slice of orange. With its bittersweet profile, Aperoffi may be aperol-inspired, but it’s all its own drink. Bitter hints of gentian and rhubarb are warmed by sweet tangerine, alongside crisp notes of rosemary, but with Aperoffi this is all set within a gloriously nutty-coffeeness. Roll on holidays – be they in Bergamo or Barry!

groundsforgood.co.uk

Salt Beef –ready to eat from Trailhead

Renowned by those in the know for their Get Jerky, Trailhead have added a new product to their stable, Salt Beef. This is of premium quality, as you would expect from Trailhead, a silverside cut of PGI Welsh Beef, meaning fully traceable in origin from well lookedafter cattle, non-intensively reared in the lush Welsh countryside. The Salt Beef is available as either a joint to cook or vacuum packed and ready to eat. We went for the latter, constructing ourselves a towering salt beef, cheese (we went for Dragon’s mature cheddar), gherkin and mustard-mayo, sourdough sarnie. And it was sublime! The meat, pale pink in colour, was extremely moist and tender. The saltiness exciting our tastebuds and allowing us to really appreciate the beefiest of beef flavour. Deep and richly satisfying, as you would expect from such a good quality cut of meat, it creates a sandwich fit to rival any New York deli-offering.

www.getjerky.wales/shop

Sobremesa Farmhouse Ale

Literally translated from Spanish as ‘over the table’, sobremesa captures that contented time lingering after a meal, conversing and digesting. Sobremesa Drinks, situated on Lower Porthamel farm in the rolling countryside between Bannau Brycheiniog and the Black Mountains, produce drinks in harmony with the nature around them; striving for sustainable, terroirdriven farmhouse beers and natural ciders - nothing added, nothing taken away - using only British malts and hops, and incorporating Welsh ancient grains. They’ve even isolated their own farmhouse brewer’s yeast, Rosalind!

The Farmhouse Saison style Ale is a lively, rustic number, much more nuanced than mass-produced wheat beers. Slightly cloudy, yeasty and with a gently appley tang, it harks back to a bucolic age of harvests gathered in endless golden summers. The Farmers Pale Ale, unfiltered and unfined, has a sharp, dry lightness that would appeal to anyone wanting to step up from a commercial pale ale to something altogether more interesting. The Farmers Dark Ale is an oattie stout. Edging towards a dark mild it is pleasingly treacly, with low-key notes of chocolate and coffee. Finally, blurring the boundaries between a pilsner and a craft beer is the Farmhouse Pilsner. This has all that refreshing, fresh crispness afforded by the time-honoured Czech lager process, but with the fuller, maltier notes of a British craft ale. A unique collection of beers from brewers wholeheartedly embracing responsible stewardship of the land while paying meticulous detail to their craft.

www.sobremesadrinks.co.uk

Rum-arkable Anglesey Rum

Rum is having something of a resurgence with younger generations enjoying that age-old tipple. With its connotations of stormy seas, pirates and smugglers’ coves, where better to develop craft rums therefore than the far-flung island of Anglesey. Alongside the pure cane molasses fermented in crystal-clear Welsh water, Rob & Maria, distillers from Anglesey Rum Co, imbue every bottle with real island spirit. We sampled four of the best – all great exemplars of the spirit and all distilled with care and consideration. Llanddwyn Spiced Rum, warm and sweet with tones of caramel and toffee, warmly spiced with hints of cinnamon and clove. Great on its own or lovely with a mixer and ideal for those just arriving on their rum odyssey. Next, Skerries Dark Rum. A different story, with deep, dark tones of burnt caramel, liquorice and stout, courtesy of the extra lashings of molasses. Again, delicious sipped solo or perfect in a Dark & Stormy. Penmon White Rum is certainly one for rum purists, crisp, clean and so, so smooth, with only the subtlest hints molasses. And finally, South Stack Golden Rum. Smooth but heady, softly woody with gently sweet notes of vanilla. In our minds this has the most complex flavour profile of the four. We would definitely take a tot of this to our desert island. Make time to savour it, as it deserves.

www.angleseyrum.co.uk

Myfanwy Inspects Her Gadgets

Myfanwy Alexander

My mother was what marketing types call an ‘early adopter:’ like many of her generation, she had become enamoured of technology in wartime and it had lost its glamour. I was by many years the rst of my contemporaries to have a freezer at home, an item more like a co n than a chest with two black rubber ip lids and a brand on the side: Walls. My mother had snapped it up when the village shop changed hands, then because she had a freezer, she needed an industrial-strength ice-cream scoop, which meant she needed an ice-cream maker, then a wide-necked ermos ask to take said ice-cream on picnics. When her kitchen was cleared, it was an Aladdin’s cave of strawberry hullers, fairy-tale themed biscuit cutters and jelly bag stands.

I’ve inherited her enthusiasm for a labour-saving gizmo but I am more discriminating. I’m not tempted by the sort of plastic tat she ordered by post from KTel adverts on the telly but I have only to enter a certain type of shop before I remember how much I need a certain item, like from Bunner’s in Montgomery. is is where you can nd anything from a teaspoon to a quadbike, including those litte extras you didn’t know you needed until you saw it on a hook there. It’s a reminder of the importance of physical shops: when I buy a pan or tin, its weight, nish and feel in my hand are way more important that its look, qualities you can’t assess on line.

R Gwynedd Evans in Pwllheli, or ‘Siop West End,’ is chock full of kitchen treasures: from practical items like a steamer to transform the way you cook vegetables to the delightful Keith Brymer Welshlanguage tableware range.

Peppercorn in Llandeilo has ranges of gleaming tins, cheerful china and an inspirational selection of kit for pasta- making eir assumption is that you are already a good cook, standing on the threshold of greatness: all you need to achieve legendary status is a speci c bit of kit, like a beechwood rolling pin for cutting out ravioli. My last game-changing Peppercorn buy was a small loaf tin which was perforated to create the perfect crust for your bread and it really works.

Llandudno takes the visitor back to a more leisured, elegant age, with department store Clare’s where the basement is full of cookware and includes an impressive array of powered gizmos, from soupmakers to sandwich grills. It’s great to be in the physical presence of such things before buying: a picture gives little idea of how much room the item in question requires.

And that, brings us to the great gadget dilemma: is it worth the space on the counter? You do need to be honest with yourself. Will you use it o en? If not, does it still deliver unique bene ts? And will your committment to, say, economy and tness last? You need the equipment for your real lifestyle.

However, we do all use bits of kit in di erent ways. My table top grill was very popular with my children, because they loved dipping bread in the little trough where the fat collected, which rather defeated the Lean aspect, but was delicious. Some of my friends have perfected making bread in their slow-cookers, “you do you” must be the watchword.

en, co ee: I’m Stone Age, hand-grinding beans before putting them in a pot on my Rayburn but there are so many technical solutions. We’ve got great co ee companies in Wales at the moment, established favourites like Coaltown or up-and-coming Blue Monday, so nding your blend is no problem. Next step, the machine: bean to cup homemade co ee can beat anything you buy in a cafe. If you take your morning cup seriously, Co ee Bay Cymru in Pontyclun supply domestic machines with impeccable lineage and provide their own range of blends and roasts.

We all have our go-to tools, the objects which make our tasks simpler or the outcomes better, for plumbedin high concept co ee machines or well-designed versions of basics, like my beloved mezzaluna. Giving great ingredients and aspiring cooks their best chance, there’s a wealth of choice so nd your gizmo mojo and go for it.

Collier’s long, deep and powerful taste releases slowly in the mouth and lingers, for you to experience this unique taste to the full. ese are the factors that set Collier’s Powerful Extra Mature Cheddar apart.

SAINT DAVID’S

Welsh Beef loaded meatball baguette