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Food Wales - a second helping by Colin Pressdee

27 October 2008

Food Wales - a second helping takes us on a fascinating culinary odyssey around Wales. Author Colin Pressdee highlights indigenous foods from the land and seas of Wales, producers committed to caring for the environment, and chefs who use the best of

Food Wales - a second helping takes us on a fascinating culinary odyssey around Wales.

Author Colin Pressdee highlights indigenous foods from the land and seas of Wales, producers committed to caring for the environment, and chefs who use the best of Welsh food with a contemporary flair.

Colin is passionate about all that's fresh, local, natural and sustainable, and his enthusiasm for quality, homemade products leaps from the pages.

Travel with him to discover award-winning artisan cheese producers, the largest and best managed mussel fishery in Britain, eco sensitive shellfish processors, organic vegetable and livestock farms, Welsh lamb from salt marshes to rugged mountains, seasonal wild food, best food shops, markets, and restaurants.

Two of the leading restaurants featured in the book have been recognised in The Good Food Guide 2009 Top 40. They are, Tyddyn Llan in North Wales, where chef Bryan Webb is at the helm, and The Crown at Whitebrook (which also has a Michelin star), under general manager David Hennigan.

Gourmets will also be delighted to learn that the Walnut Tree, once famed for its food by Franco Taruschio, has now re-opened in the capable hands of top chef, Shaun Hill. Fairyhill, Gower, is also noteworthy for its dedication to sourcing food within a 10-mile radius, and its contemporary use of ingredients.

“All the restaurants featured in Food Wales - a second helping have been included because they favour using local produce over food that has been flown in from afar,” says Colin. “Local food, used in season is outstanding in terms of quality and taste.”

The book is pided neatly into four geographic regions in line with the recognised tourism authority areas. It has descriptions of the terrain and what produce can be found, the food producers, food markets, independent retailers and specialists, and the places to eat, from small public houses to top restaurants and country house hotels.

Colin has produced a glossary of Welsh food, and a seasonal timeline chart that gives an outline of what food is in season, so that fish, game, fungi, fruit, nuts and berries can be enjoyed at their freshest and tastiest.

“Wales has a wealth of quality, natural, organic ingredients, and these are being used better than ever before. The best chefs cook with skill to present the wonderful flavour of ingredients such as sewin and salt marsh Welsh lamb to their natural best,” says Colin. “Chefs who smother fine produce in overwhelming sauces are in the minority. New restaurants are opening up all the time, and we now have an excellent choice of middle-priced restaurants, serving good quality local food.”

Quality food producers featured in Food Wales include:

*Caws Cenarth - producer of wonderful, pure cheeses.

*Harvies Pies - one of the few companies to win a triple gold in the UK Great Taste Awards (for their pork, prune and calvados pie).

*Dash Shellfish - a company based in Little Haven, Pembrokeshire, renowned for innovative use of crab.

On his foodie foray around the country, Colin visits a multitude of food festivals and farmers' markets - all listed in the directory included within the book. Readers might be tempted to events such as the famous Welsh Perry and Cider Festival at the delightful Clytha Arms near Abergavenny, sample Welsh produce at the Llangollen Food Festival, or taste the sea's wares at the Anglesey Oyster Festival.

“Good food need not break the bank,” Colin explains. “The less expensive cuts of meat such as shoulder of lamb, or hock of pork can be utterly delicious cooked properly. These can be found in farmers markets such as the monthly one in my home village of Mumbles. Similar markets held throughout Wales have a host of natural, organic and quality produce of all descriptions.”

For those who've sourced the produce and would like some inspiring ideas as to what to do with it, there's a series of 25 recipes, including:

• Oysters grilled with Perl Las
• Quick crab soup
• Ceiriog trout or sewin fillets with wild garlic butter sauce
• Woodcock dressed on game toast with bread sauce and elder gravy
• Stuffed shoulder of lamb
• Braised pheasant
• Gratin of summer fruits with elderflower
• Whinberry sorbet

Food Wales - a second helping is published by Graffeg (029 2037 7312, www.graffeg.com), price £14.99, and is available from Waterstones, Borders, Amazon, graffeg.com and all good independent book stores.