Carmarthenshire launches dedicated trails for foodie visitors

1 August 2012

Mapped routes, Prince Charles’ favourite cheese and cake, squirrel, coracle
caught smoked trout and more … Carmarthenshire is full of foodie surprises
and a great destination for a food holiday, from squirrel on sale in
Carmarthen Market, some of Wales’ best laver bread and cockles found on its
shores, as well as the newly acclaimed ‘best restaurant in Wales’, Y Polyn,
hiding in the sleepy village of Capel Dewi.

To help visitors uncover the county’s real ‘food heroes’ a number of food
trails have been launched online at
www.discovercarmartheshire.com/food-trails, guiding you around
Carmarthenshire’s very best food producers from farm shops, pie shops, delis
and pubs, to restaurants, teashops and bars. There’s unique experiences too,
such as bearded fisherman Big Bill in Llansteffan who cooks up his catch
every weekend and serves it up in his living room.

The three mapped trails make it easy to avoid the big supermarkets and
experience the county’s authentic tastes, local producers, and gain an
understanding of the agricultural landscape.

Carmarthenshire is packed with well-established heritage producers who have
been crafting meats, cheeses and bakery goods for decades. Visit Albert Rees
where the son of Albert, Chris, still cures the famous Carmarthen Ham – a
recipe handed down through the generations and a family legend claiming the
Romans stole it during the invasion of Wales and invented Parma Ham.
Whatever the truth it’s a favourite of Rick Stein’s! A neighbour in
Carmarthen Indoor Market is Etta Richardson’s Bakery, now run by her son
Richard and his wife - their fruitcake so impressed Prince Charles he
promptly ordered eight for Christmas and then served slices at his wedding
reception to Camilla. Known as Etta’s Royal Cake the recipe remains a
tightly guarded secret!

The new wave of food pioneers includes Scott Davis who after years working
in top restaurants in London and New York has returned to his roots to set
up cnwd (pronounced cn-ood — it rhymes with food) a smokery producing smoked
wild fish and award-winning terrines.

Each food trail profiles a local food hero and sets out a route of culinary
highlights for three distinct geographical areas – Carmarthen and West,
Newcastle Emlyn and North and Llandeilo and East. From a Master Chef: The
Professionals finalist’s restaurant to a remote artisan brewery next the
Dolcothi Gold Mine this is guided food shopping and so much more! And to
whet your appetite there are films online for each local producer.