Loving Welsh Food

08/11/2024

Here's another delicious recipe for Great British Game Week, courtesy of Nerys from her fantastic book Cywain/Harvest - A celebration of eating locally and seasonally, using fresher, better quality ingredients and more nutritious foods.

Venison steak with blackberry mead sauce

PREP TIME: 10 minutes
COOK TIME: 25 minutes
INGREDIENTS Serving 2
1 shallot
2 tbsp rapeseed oil
4 juniper berries, crushed
1 orange
100g blackberries
100ml Afon Mel blackberry mead
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
1 dsp redcurrant jelly
2 venison steaks
15g Welsh butter

To Start
Make the sauce by finely chopping the shallot then heating one tablespoon of oil in a small pan over a medium heat.
Add the shallots and cook for around 6 minutes until softened.

Meanwhile

Zest the rind of the orange, squeeze the juice, and add both to the shallots along with the juniper berries, blackberries, ginger and mead and cook for around 5 minutes until the blackberries begin to soften.

Reduce the heat and add the redcurrant jelly then taste and season with salt, pepper, and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Set aside while you cook the steaks.

Simply season the steaks with salt and pepper and heat a frying pan over a medium to hot heat.
Then add the rest of the oil and butter and once melted cook the steaks for 3 minutes on both sides for medium.

Pour off any excess fat, add the sauce to the pan, and reheat for a few minutes.

To serve
Serve the steak sliced if you wish, accompanied by the sauce and mustard mashed potato and steamed broccoli or cavolo nero.



Nerys Howell - Food Specialist

06/11/2024

To help celebrate Great British Game Week, here is a fantastic recipe for Figgy Pheasant Traybake courtesy of one of our guides and resident food expert and consultant, Nerys.

Serves 4
Ingredients
4 pheasant breasts
1 whole garlic bulb
3 tbsp sherry vinegar
8 sprigs thyme
2 red onions
6 fresh figs
12 black olives halved and stoned
3 tbsp rapeseed oil

Method

1. Marinade the pheasant by crushing 2 cloves of garlic and mixing with a tablespoon of vinegar and the leaves from a few sprigs of thyme. Season the breasts with salt and pepper and leave in the marinade for a few hours or overnight.

2. Heat the oven to 200C/180Fan/Gas 6 and put the remaining garlic cloves whole in their skin in a large deep oven tray. Peel and cut the onions into 8 wedges and add to the garlic. Then cut the figs in half and add to the tin along with the remaining thyme.

3. Pour over the oil and toss the vegetables and figs with your hands then season with salt and pepper and drizzle over the remaining vinegar and any marinade then roast for 20 minutes.

4. Heat a frying pan over a high heat and quickly brown the marinaded pheasant breast on both sides then transfer to the oven tray once the onions have roasted and scatter over the olives. Roast for a further 10 minutes until the meat is cooked.

5. Remove from the oven and serve straight from the tray with some crispy potatoes and a green salad.

Nerys Howell - Food Specialist

05/11/2024

🎆 BONFIRE NIGHT REMINDER 🎆

Tonight, from 5pm to 9pm, Classic FM will be airing their Pet Classics program—a selection of calming classical music designed to soothe anxious pets and their owners. Perfect for keeping your furry friends relaxed during the fireworks!

04/11/2024

🍺Wrexham Lager🍺

We’ve already had lots of guests this year who have come to Wales having watched and enjoyed “Welcome to Wrexham” the documentary which follows Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney when they bought Wrexham AFC, the Welsh football club in 2020 and their journey through the first two seasons of their takeover.

In the past few weeks, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have grown their Wrexham empire by adding a brewery to their ownership of the booming football club. The famous pair have taken co-ownership of Wrexham Lager, which already sponsors Wrexham AFC.

Wrexham Lager is a pale lager with a rich history that began in 1881 when German immigrants Ivan Levinstein and Otto Isler established the Wrexham Lager Beer Company in Wrexham, Wales: The brewery was founded to recreate the taste of lagers from the immigrants' homeland. Their method was different from other breweries at the time, using a paler malt and top-fermenting ale yeast
It also has another bit of history as it was served on the Titanic - the most famous ship in history.

While “Welcome to Wrexham” continues to put Wales on the map, Wrexham Lager will be exporting a little bit of Wales all over the world as they look to drive international expansion into markets including Australia, Japan and Scandinavia, as well as the US and Canada.

Great news and the best of luck!



Wrexham Lager Wrexham AFC

03/11/2024

Happy National Sandwich Day!

Legend has it that the sandwich was named after John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich, who asked for a meal that would allow him to eat with one hand while continuing his gambling pursuits.

This unofficial holiday commemorates the anniversary of his birth, not the sandwich!

What is your favourite filling?
The top 5 in the UK are:
Ham and cheese, egg mayo, cheese and onion, chicken and bacon, and bacon!
Not the most adventurous!
I love a bacon, perl wen and cranberry sauce sandwich - or turkey and cranberry sauce at Christmas time.

What about a cheesecake sandwich?

Already a favourite in Swansea, Grandad Needs His Medicine is quickly gaining a reputation as South Wales' top sandwich shop. This small but mighty high street takeaway is now offering Japanese-inspired sweet sandwiches that could be the ultimate dessert innovation!

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/food-drink-news/tiny-high-street-shop-makes-30159176

Grandad Needs His Medicine

31/10/2024

Happy Halloween !!!

Did you know ----- 🎃🎃🎃
👻
Cardiff Castle has a long-standing reputation for ghostly encounters, with tales of eerie figures and unexplained sounds echoing through its ancient corridors.
👻
Among its spectral residents, the Marquess of Bute is said to make appearances, drifting through the halls and towers of the castle.
👻
There’s also the spirit of a Roman soldier, spotted by some visitors, wandering the grounds in full armour as if still on guard centuries later.
Whether it’s creaking floors or shadowy forms, Cardiff Castle holds a few secrets waiting to be uncovered!

30/10/2024

Here’s some info on our tours on the 15th and 16th of November - City of Arcades day/s!

Celebrate the with one of The Times and The Sunday Times UK’s best walking tours! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

✨City of Arcades Food Experience: Friday 15th November, 11am – 3.30pm, £75pp

✨Loving Welsh Food Tour: Saturday 16th November, 10.30am – 2.30pm, £45pp

Find out more and book: https://www.thecityofarcades.com/2024

30/10/2024

We’re really looking forward to City of Arcades Day - so much so that we’ll be running an additional tour on the 15th!

For one night only, on Friday 15th November, Cardiff Market / Marchnad Caerdydd will open until 9pm and Cardiff shops, bars, and restaurants will run exclusive events and discounts. 🤩

From sherry tasting to chocolate making, there’s plenty to get you in the festive spirit. ✨

Find out more and see what's on: https://www.thecityofarcades.com/

27/10/2024

A big thank you to all the lovely staff and pupils at Adamsdown Primary - we had a great morning discussing and enjoying some Welsh food.

Huge thank you to Fabulous Welshcakes for providing the delicious welshcakes. DIolch yn fawr iawn.

When I asked the pupils if they had any questions, there were lots of great questions - the most frequent one was 'Can we have more Welshcakes?'

As a company we offer the Welsh Food Talk & Tastings for schools and groups.

The sessions are always good fun and informative.
I hope that the pupils enjoyed finding out about our fabulous Welsh cuisine. Diolch i bawb.

Fabulous Welshcakes

26/10/2024

Don’t forget your extra hour in bed tomorrow morning!

23/10/2024

On our private 'Cardiff Lunch and Landmarks' tour, we stop at the fantastic Welsh House for a hearty bowl of traditional Welsh cawl, served with fresh bread and cheese. While we usually recommend a refreshing Welsh cider or ale, one of our recent guests fancied an iced tea. Though it wasn’t on the menu, the lovely team at Welsh House whipped one up – and it was declared the best iced tea ever! Diolch yn fawr to the amazing staff for their warm hospitality!

The Welsh House Cardiff

21/10/2024

October 21st is Apple Day

The history of apples in Britain stretches back thousands of years, with evidence suggesting that wild apples were present in the British Isles long before cultivation began. The Romans are credited with introducing new apple varieties and more advanced cultivation techniques when they invaded Britain in 55 BCE. Roman orchards flourished, and their influence helped establish apples as a key fruit in British agriculture.

By the Middle Ages, apples had become deeply integrated into British culture and cuisine. Monasteries played an important role in refining apple varieties through selective breeding, and cider production became especially popular in regions like Somerset and Herefordshire. Over time, apples became associated with British heritage, leading to the creation of unique varieties such as the Bramley, Cox’s Orange Pippin, and the Egremont Russet.

In Welsh mythology, apples hold a significant place as symbols of magic, wisdom, and immortality. One of the most famous Welsh legends featuring apples is the story of the island of Annwn, often described as a mystical paradise, sometimes called "the Otherworld" in Welsh tradition. This island, where time moves differently and there is no death or suffering, was often said to have apple trees bearing fruit all year round. Apples from Annwn were believed to bestow eternal life or the knowledge of hidden truths.

Another notable reference to apples in Welsh myth is the tale of the Mabinogion, where the hero Pwyll encounters a magical apple tree in the Otherworld. This tree is often interpreted as a symbol of fertility and regeneration.

The name of the Isle of Avalon, an important part of the myths of king Arthur is thought to derive from the Welsh word for apples - Afallon.

🍎

18/10/2024

We were over the moon to receive this lovely review about our City of Arcades Food Experience. Thank you Mandy!

'I really enjoyed this tour which mixes delicious food with a bit of Cardiff history, especially the splendid and wonderfully maintained Edwardian Arcades. Travelling on my own, I was delighted to meet the fellow tourers who all seemed equally happy to sample a wide variety of culinary delights from some small independent businesses. The tour has been intelligently designed with a perfect mix of sweet and savoury, walking, sitting and drinking! Our guide Sian, was knowledgeable about both all the food and her home town, and was great at including everybody in a helpful and friendly way. Would happily return for this trip tomorrow!'

16/10/2024

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s multi award-winning cultural phenomenon Hamilton is touring the UK for the very first time, and is coming to Wales Millennium Centre for Christmas 2024.

Hamilton is the story of America's Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, an immigrant from the West Indies who became George Washington's right-hand man during the Revolutionary War and helped shape the very foundations of the America we know today. The score blends hip-hop, jazz, blues, rap, R&B and Broadway - the story of America then, as told by America now.

Hamilton is running from 26 November 2024 – 25 January 2025. If you're coming to Cardiff to watch, why not book yourself onto one of our food-based walking tours.

See our website for details - you can even organise a private tour for you and your friends.

12/10/2024

Another notable mention for our City of Arcades tour, this time in Time Out's report on the Sunday Times article listing the top 7 city walking tours (see posts from earlier this week).

Half term break = sorted

12/10/2024

10/10/2024

Don’t forget, Newport Food Festival is this Saturday 12 October 2024.

It’s a fabulous festival – there are loads of stalls and a great selection of Chefs, demos and other events.

The Talks & Tastings are a new event this year at the beautiful Corn Exchange, and I’m looking forward to hosting the event.

On the menu are The Preservation Society, Thermomix, Spirit of Wales, The Crafty Pickle Co, Bossa Nova Chocolate,

AND LATE ENTRY

Brookes Wye Valley Dairy, based in the Wye valley, producing dairy products with milk from their own cows such as ice cream and soft cheeses.

https://www.thepreservationsociety.co.uk/
https://www.spiritofwales.com/
https://bossanovachocolate.co.uk/
https://www.thecraftypickle.co.uk/

The Chefs demos include TV Chef Cyrus Todiwala and the talented Newport food festival patron and Michelin star chef, Hywel Jones.
https://www.cafespice.co.uk/

Hope to see you there.

https://www.visitwales.com/event/food-or-drink-event/newport-food-festival-2023-newport-city-2164326

Newport Food Festival
The Spirit of Wales
The Preservation Society
Bossa Nova Chocolate
Brooke's Dairy

07/10/2024

We were absolutely delighted to appear in the Sunday Times yesterday in their feature 'Seven of the UK's best city walking tours'.

We still have some spaces on our Welsh Food Tour on 19th October and City of Arcades Food Experience on 25th October - book on our website.

From a pub-themed trip around Manchester to a journey through Bristol’s art scene, these local-led tours will help you get to the heart of a city