11/12/2024
Hay on Wye is in the prizes again this time with Slow Food Cymru Wales, two for our fabulous Michelin Guide Restaurant Chapters Restaurant one for “Cook of the Year” and the Enviromental and Biodiversity Award and Hay Distillery won Drink Product of the Year for their gin “Dr Beaky’s”.
Chapters does get busy so it’s worth booking in advance but occasionally they do have last minute cancellations so it’s always worth a call.
Hay distillery based yards away from Chapters, have also produced a gin specifically for Chapters but my favourite is their Wild Knapp gin which you can enjoy in their bar along with a few nibbles or one of their charcuterie or cheese boards.
We are sooooo lucky to have these two amazing businesses in Hay on Wye.
Created nine years ago, the Slow Food awards are truly democratic – with no prior shortlisting, the winners are simply chosen by whoever gets the most votes. These Awards are so powerful in highlighting Good, Clean and Fair, that like last year, many of you voted over the autumn. Each nation has its own winners, with the highest number of votes in each category also being the overall UK winner.
In addition to the public vote, each nation director chose their Person of the Year, their stories are below, with one of those of winners being crowned Slow Food in the UK Person of Year as well.
Slow Food Cymru Wales Winners
Best Retailer - Cardiff Farmers Markets
Best Producer - Paul's Organic Veg
Cook of the Year - Mark McHugo from Chapters Restaurant
Newcomer Award - Grangetown Kitchen Garden
Environment & Biodiversity Award - Chapters Restaurant
Food Product of the Year - Halen Môn Sea Salt
Drink Product of the Year - Dr Beaky's Gin Hay Distillery
Wales Person of the Year: Jess Lea-Wilson
Jess Lea Wilson is part of the fantastic Lea Wilson clan who own and run Halen Mon, https://www.halenmon.com/ famous for their pure sea salt which sells around the world. The company has B-corp status and is at the centre of the community, standing up for good, clean, fair food, with as little environmental impact as possible. The Slow Food ethos clearly runs through her like a stick of rock and we're honoured to have her as our person of the year.
Jess is a highly ethical individual, passionate about good health for all, and understands the importance of education and imbuing skills and a love of food from an early age. She is also involved with TastEd, a charity aiming to revolutionise the way Food Education is taught in the UK, so that taste education becomes a basic aspect of every child’s knowledge. Just as children are taught how to read and write, they need to learn the ‘food literacy’ that will help them become more confident, adventurous and healthy eaters.
She is part of the Citizen's Assembly so part of a group of people brought together by UK Government to discuss an issue, in this case Trade and Climate Change and she also works with Anna Jones the chef/writer www.annajones.co.uk
In the pandemic she, her brother Jake and comedian Kiri Pritchard-Maclean started a virtual pub called the Covid Arms which ran online gigs. The money raised went to the artists (who obviously weren’t earning anything at that point) and The Trussell Trust. They raised just over £150,000 for them. www.covidarms.com. We look forward to working further with Jess throughout the year and watching her future endeavours with interest.
Nominated by Debbie Handley, Director Slow Food Cymru Wales
Many many congratulations to all our worthy winners.
If you would like to support good, clean and fair food for all, we have membership options from as little as £2 a month. Just head to our website and join us..
www.slowfoodcymruwales.org
