Wales might be shadowed by the more frequently visited England and Scotland, but for travelers with an appreciation for food, culture, and epic landscapes, Wales is a must-visit. It’s the land of dragons and castles, rolling green hills dotted with sheep, and a fun celtic language of double L’s and tongue-twisting W’s as vowels.
The people of Wales are full of national pride and a quick witted sense of humor, as I quickly discovered when I asked my driver about Wales when he picked me up from Manchester Airport. I confess, having never been to Wales before, I asked if we had to cross a border to which he replied with a smile, “No, but you’ll notice the grass is greener and the air is more clear. That’s when you’ll know we’ve entered Wales.”
If you’re unfamilear with Wales, take a look at a map of Great Britain, locate the city of Cardiff, and that’s the side of the island it’s on. There’s over 870 miles of coastline, epic mountains in Snowdonia National Park, and quaint villages where the locals will welcome you as if you’re family.
Wales is definitely known for its stunning scenery and outdoor activities, but today, I want to focus on the food. From 5-Star dinners in castles to cozy pubs, it is some of the best I’ve tasted in Great Britain. Below, I’ve outlined a few of the must-try foods of Wales, and the best way to sample it all while getting to know the area, and learning a little history too, is with a tasting tour of Cardiff with Sian of Loving Welsh Food.
What To Eat In Wales – Welsh Foods To Try During Your Trip
Welsh Cakes
Welsh Cakes are like a dense, cinnamon raisin pancake, similar to a scone in texture and shaped like a small cookie. They’re perfect for breakfast or an afternoon treat. If you’d like to see how they’re made and pick up a few to take home, visit Fabulous Welshcakes in Cardiff Bay.
Brains Beer
While Ireland has Guinness, Wales has Brains. The Welsh sense of humor even extends to their beer, and I certainly had a lot of fun saying, “I’m drinking Brains!” Brains is the national brewery of Wales and they make a variety of different styles of beer, from seasonal ales to dark brews and IPAs. They’ve been brewing beer in Cardiff for over 125 years and no visit to Wales would be complete without sipping a pint of Brains.
Welsh Cheese
When a country has rolling green hills of happily grazing cows and sheep, you just know they’re going to make some of the best cheese you’ve ever tasted. Wales has sharp cheddars, creamy goat cheeses, tangy farmhouse style cheeses, and even a nutty tasting blue called Perl Las. Most of what you’ll find is handmade or crafted in small batches and I highly recommend tasting a variety of cheese while visiting Wales. The most popular cheese I seemed to find nearly everywhere in the country is the award winning Snowdonia Cheese.
Cockles
This is another fun word to say, and while it might not look appetizing, don’t knock it till you try it. Cockles are a small clam found around the coast of Wales and are a popular local seafood you’ll find offered as an appetizer in pubs and restaurants. Below is a photo of toast with cockles and lavabread.
Lavabread
Another Welsh treat from the sea is laverbread, a type of seaweed. It’s salty, but a bit more mild flavored than other types of seaweed you might have tasted at Asian restaurants.
Welsh Rarebit
This is comfort food at it’s best, and while it sounds like “rabbit,” don’t let this Welsh menu item scare you. It’s basically an open-faced grilled cheese. It’s made with toasted bread, a savory sauce, and melted Welsh cheddar cheese. Sometimes you’ll find different gourmet toppings, including bacon, but traditionally it’s just cheese.
Ice Cream
Never in my life have I seen more ice cream shops than in Wales. It seems like there was one on every block in each village and city I visited. The most memorable one was the award-winning Scoops in Caernarfon. They had one made with a frosted British cookie called Iced Gems that had edible glitter swirled through the handmade vanilla ice cream. Having glitter ice cream while standing outside of a castle made my inner child sing.
Bara Brith
This is a comforting spiced fruit bread that’s typically served with tea. To me, bara brith tasted like a cross between gingerbread and raisin bread and was certainly more delicious than the candied fruit cakes we get in the US around the holidays.
Gin & Tonics
The Welsh love gin, so much so that there’s even a gin festival. Nearly every bar and restaurant I visited offered a unique gin & tonic cocktail, but the one with the most variety was The Potted Pig in Cardiff. They have over 30 different kinds of gin paired perfectly with just the right tonic and garnish. Their menu lists gin by aroma profile, from spicy to fruity and floral. They also happen to have the above mentioned cockles and lavabread, so if you need a G&T to give you the courage, definitely give those Welsh delicacies a try too.
Want to get a true taste of Wales during your next visit? I spent a week traveling throughout the country with Cambria Tours and Sian Roberts of Loving Welsh Food as my guide and felt like we were long lost foodie sisters by the end of the trip. She’s definitely the best person to show you the culinary side of Wales. Just be sure to schedule in some hikes or walks along the coastal trail as you will eat a lot of delicious comfort foods!
My trip to Wales was in cooperation with Visit Britain for the #DestinationBritain campaign. As always, my love for travel and enthusiasm for food are entirely my own.
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I love Welsh cakes – they are even better with a dollop of good quality jam!
I love all your choices for Welsh food, everything looks amazing!! My mouth is watering as I stream through your post again and again!!
Comfort foods and seafood … two of my favorite things. 😉
Loved seeing the different Welsh foods but, now that I live in Canada they are no longer available to me. I’ll just have to take time for going through my (Welsh) mother’s recipes.
So many great dishes and experiences! I’ve been to Wales about 10 years ago and the food scene wasn’t quite like it is today. Great post!
I’m sure it’s changed quite a bit in 10 years. They’re definitely growing quite a culinary scene.
When I lived in London I so regret not getting over to Wales! You’ve inspired me to add it back to my travel bucket list! Happy Holidays!!
You definitely should! It seems like it’s the forgotten coast. But because of that I think Wales is one of the next “up and coming” destinations. Beautiful landscapes and great comfort foods.
Say no more – Welsh Cheese I AM IN!!!!!!! Looks like an incredible adventure and as always with your trips – so delish!
The Snowdonia cheeses are amazing! Best cheddar I’ve ever tasted. If you find any at a gourmet market, definitely pick some up!
I am sold!! Cheese and ice cream – what more could a girl want? 😉 My mom actually made a poor man’s version of welsh rarebit when I was growing up. Total comfort food!
And glitter ice cream to boot! Rarebit is awesome. I think every culture has their own version of grilled cheese. 🙂
OMG, I grew up with Iced Gems and I still buy a bag every time I go home! I have only been to Wales for a few hours, long enough to go to Tintern Abbey and another spot with a view, but we didn’t even eat while we were there! Shameful, I know, but we were driving up to Scotland and I figured anything was better than nothing! I’m dying to go back!
Snowdonia cheeses are delicious, my personal favourite is the Red Devil. You can find their cheese close to anywhere in the UK from Inverness in Scotland (at the Simpsons Garden Centre) to the Stamford Cheese Cellar which unsurprisingly is in Stamford. I still have a few Snowdonia cheeses to try, but so far they’ve all been scrumptious!
Loved Red Devil! I tried that one too. Welsh cheeses are probably my favorite. 🙂
You are correct about most of the foods you reviewed, however, you are misinformed and mistaken about Welsh Rarebit. The traditional Welsh Rarebit is made with leeks sautéed in butter, then mustard is spread on the toasted bread, topped with the buttered leeks and then Welsh cheddar is melted on top. THAT is true traditional Welsh Rarebit. My husband is Welsh, born and raised and I have been there many times, so I know the true traditional National Food of Wales.
Sadly, most of Wales does not make it the traditional way any longer and serve the more simple “cheese on toast” and call it Welsh Rarebit.
I do agree with you about the ice cream obsession there, especially around the castles. Having climbed around a great many castles in Wales and had a lot of ice cream as well, they do make very good frozen treats.
Oh, my! The leeks sautéed in butter with mustard and cheddar sounds AMAZING! And Welsh cheeses are probably my favorite in the world. Thank you for your insight! Now I need to go back to Wales and try the traditional rarebit.
Great lovely place but it is laverbread
I’m Welsh born and bred actually from the Welshiest part the Rhondda Valleys where Tom Jones lived not far from. I enioyed your article although I will disagree with one bit that Wales is visited less than England and Scotland? Actually Wales is probably just the same frequented as Scotland. Also I disagree with one ladies comment about rarebit as a born and bred Welsh person who’s granny made Rarebit frequently I can say different parts of Wales make it different . My gran never used Leeks in the recipe this is personal prefernce.
You are so right about Welsh food differing from place to place. There is a very distinct difference to recipes south and north of the Brecons, especially cawl (which isn’t even mentioned here) and Bara Brith. As to rarebit, it seems to differ between villages, let alone regions.
Cakes, cheese and glitter ice cream? Count me in! Sounds like all of them are comfort foods to me 😀