What food and drink is Wales famous for?

If food brings people together, then let it bring you together in Wales: a land built on comfort foods that cultivate an adoration for hearty staples, be they sweet, savoury, meaty or veggie. A famous chef once said that good food is the foundation of genuine happiness and, if that’s the case, it’s little wonder that the Welsh are such a smiley bunch.

So, if you feel that enjoying food is an art form, that it’s more than just a sustenance requirement, then come with us on a journey that will tantalise your tastebuds; a voyage that will nourish your nostrils and excite your eyes. 

When your belly is full and you can’t sneak one more cake or piece of cheese past your lips, you’ll want a quality holiday let to rest and recuperate in, ready for the next day of culinary adventures. We have self-catering cottages along the length and breadth of Wales to suit your needs. Feast your eyes on these:

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Welsh food

Welsh cakes (Picau ar y Maen)

The Welsh cake is possibly as traditional as it comes when speaking of Welsh cuisine. A cross between a scone, a biscuit and a pancake, these sultana-filled treats have been a favourite amongst denizens of Wales for generations. Originally these time-honoured cakes were popularised by coal miners, although they were also favoured by children as part of a hearty school lunch. Due to their durability and the simplicity of carrying them (they’d slip easily into a coat pocket), workers counted on these dense, sugar-filled delights to bring cheer to a sullen day in the mines.

Recipes vary from town to town, some including fillings such as strawberry jam, but the conventional method is to keep it simple, putting trust in the texture of the dough and the sugariness of the sultanas. Baked on an iron griddle and finished off with caster sugar, these filling cakes are best served with a hot mug of Welsh-brewed tea.

Welsh rarebit

At first glance, this looks like just a bit of cheese on toast. Well, it kind of is, but it’s much more than that too (plus, who can say no to a slice of cheese on toast?).

The secret is in the sauce. There are hundreds of cheese sauce combinations to choose from, depending on your preference. Will you have mustard, cayenne pepper, Worcestershire sauce, or even stout or beer? Also, which strong Cheddar do you opt for? Then there’s the question of granary bread or soft floury white – so many rarebit combinations! 

Dating back as far as the 1500s and going by the name caws pobi (toasted cheese), this has been a staple in the diets of the men and women of Wales ever since. If you’re headed to Wales to try this belly warmer, try one in early autumn as September 3rd is Welsh Rarebit Day.

Welsh lamb

What makes Welsh lamb so special? Is it the extra special grass they’re fed? The fresh Welsh country air? The husbandry secrets that us layfolk will never know about? Or perhaps a combination of all of these and more…

Whatever it is, Welsh lamb is unquestionably regarded as one of the finest cuts of lamb the world over. Such a versatile meat, it can be cooked in a number of ways: a flash in the pan for a tender and rare lamb chop; a slow-cooked shank where the meat just falls off the bone; or a summer lamb kebab on the BBQ. And you know you’re getting the best cuts available when you see the PGI status the European Commission awarded all Welsh lamb back in 2003, meaning you’re only consuming high-quality produce from within the realms of Wales.

If you’re wondering how to cook your leg of lamb, keep scrolling to the next section.

Welsh cawl

A perfect soul soother and belly warmer for chilly winter evenings, a bowl of reassuring cawl is sure to hit the spot. Considered to be Wales’ national dish, this simple soup will elevate your lamb to another level, if that’s even possible with Welsh lamb!

A chunky soup, using vegetables such as swede, carrots and of course leeks, as well as the juices from the lamb to provide its own stock, this broth owes its origins to the genius of leftovers. Traditionally using the titbits left from a previous meal and then brought up to heat in an iron pot, it has now been heightened to the status of a must-have when visiting Wales.

Sprinkle some strong Welsh Cheddar on the top, or just enjoy with a generous wedge of cheese and chunky bread on the side.

Glamorgan sausages (Selsig Morgannwg)

When asked to name famous Welsh foods, it’s likely that Glamorgan sausages would have sprung to mind. This vegetarian masterpiece finds its roots in the 19^th century but it wasn’t until the Second World War, and the shortages and rationing of meat that came with it, that its popularity soared nationwide.

Mixing Welsh staples like Caerphilly Cheddar and leeks with breadcrumbs, these adaptable sausages are as happy with a salad or wedges as they are propped up against a mound of risotto or mash. In recent years, recipes have entered new dimensions of deliciousness, involving different cheeses, mustards and serving them up with chutneys and relishes to complement the salty goodness of the sausage. How will you eat yours?

Welsh fruit tea bread (bara brith)

A perfect accompaniment to a cup of tea, bara brith – translated as speckled bread – is a sweet treat born out of experimentation. The fable states that a Welsh chef was trialling adding spices and dried fruits to bread dough and thus the first tea bread was created. Today the fruit is soaked in tea overnight to give it its distinctive flavour.

But it’s not only in Britain where bara brith is devoured with lashings of butter. In and around Chubut in Patagonia, Argentina, you’ll be hard pressed not to find this being served to the locals in the tearooms. This is one of many traditions carried over to the South American country in the 19^th century when the rural folk of North Wales sought a simpler life in the wake of the Industrial Revolution and the influx of business that followed it.

Bara brith is slowly losing popularity in Wales, with the flavours being found in chocolate and ice creams rather than the traditional loaf. That’s why it’s important to include it in this list and for you to head out and try this lovely cake.

Conwy mussels

If you’re destined for the North Wales coast, then you can’t leave before trying the seafood that the area is famed for. Visit Conwy and take in the verdant countryside with the colossal Mount Snowdon/Yr Wyddfa as the backdrop and have a taste of the rich meat of arguably the best-tasting mussels in the UK. Known for their colourful shells, these mussels are only grown by 20 licensed companies in the area who press home the importance of sustainable farming, allowing the molluscs to form on the seabed naturally rather than rope-growing them.

There’ll be plenty of eateries offering their take on mussels dishes, with most of them opting for a classic moules marinieres version: pan-fried with garlic, shallots, white wine and a healthy dose of double cream. Scrumptious!

Laverbread (Bara Lawr)

Staying with coastal cuisine, this is another tasty morsel that goes back centuries. Made from laver seaweed which grows along the Welsh coast, laverbread is a straightforward snack that packs a nutritional punch. Bursting with iodine, which is high in iron, protein and essential vitamins, laver has a similar salty flavour to oysters and olives.  

Interestingly, laverbread has nothing to do with bread, although it is often enjoyed on a thick slice of toast. Enjoy it this way or have it as part of a fuller breakfast alongside bacon and eggs. However, we definitely recommend going out to eat it as it takes ten hours of boiling before it’s ready to blend into the final product, which is locally known as Welshman’s caviar.

Welsh cheese

Many of the recipes featured so far have included cheese so it’s fair to say that the Welsh are cheese lovers. Caws (cheese in Welsh) is a passion in this fair country and the quality you’ll find is no surprise when you consider how many lush pastures the cows, sheep and goats have to graze on.

From Cheddars such as Hafod Cheddar, award-winning Black Bomber, and Pwll Mawr Smoked Cheddar to blues like Mon Las and Perl Las, and even a halloumi (Teifi Organic), you’ll really be spoiled for choice when visiting. Possibly the most well-known Welsh cheese is Caerphilly cheese: a white, hard, crumbly cow’s cheese.

Of course, you could visit a supermarket to pick up a Cheddar, a blue, a creamy number or a Gouda-style cheese, but you’re far better off visiting a farmers’ market to get a better selection and maybe even taste before you buy.

Welsh drinks

Welsh beer

When you think of Welsh beer, Brains Brewery probably comes to mind. Located near Cardiff Central train station, Brains is Wales’ largest brewer and operates more than 250 pubs in Wales and the West Country.

The Welsh have been supping on quality ales for centuries, dating back to when miners and dockworkers would end a hard day’s work and head directly to a local inn for a pint.

There’s more to Welsh beer than just Brains though, with the Gower Brewery, The Glamorgan Brewing Co and Tiny Rebel all producing fantastic bottled and cask beers.

Welsh cider

Perhaps less well known for its cider, Wales is slowly building up a strong reputation for its pressed apples. Crafted by some small independent artisans as well as larger operations, there are plenty of award-winning ciders to slay your thirst.

Try Rosie’s near Llandegla who use nothing but their 69 varieties of apple in their crisp ciders. Or, visit Apple County Cider Co, near Skenfrith in Monmouthshire where you can roam the orchards and taste test the Welsh drinks on offer.

If you want to make a day of trying the best beers and ciders that Wales has to offer, why not head to the Great Welsh Beer and Cider Festival, held in Cardiff every June?

Welsh wine

Wine producers in Wales are beginning to become more recognised as well. There are currently in excess of 20 vineyards that are excelling and taking honours and critical acclaim at British wine award shows for both the quality and drinkability of their wines.

The very first commercial vineyard in the UK was actually founded in Wales in 1875 and, as recently as 2012, Ancre Hill Estate in Monmouthshire was voted as producing the best sparkling wine in the world at the Italian Bollicine del Mondo International Competition.

It didn’t stop there: Welsh vineyards had three winners at the International Wine Challenge in 2021, with Gwinllan Conwy, Montgomery Vineyard and White Castle Vineyard all taking medals for their whites and reds.

Welsh spirits

Not happy to allow their Irish and Scottish cousins to take all the plaudits, the Welsh continue to make fine whisky, just like they have been since the Middle Ages. Penderyn whisky is perhaps Wales’ best-known spirit export but Dà Mhìle Distillery put itself on the map too back in 2016.

But it’s not just this tipple that spirit lovers are producing. Gin has been going through a revolution of late and Welsh distilleries are rising to the challenge with the award-winning Dyfi Distillery being perhaps the worthiest of a mention. Other fantastic spirit producers include Silver Circle Distillery in the Wye Valley, Aber Falls Distillery in North Wales and the Gower Gin Company in the south west of the country.

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