At Slate House, we don’t mind admitting that we enjoy indulging in a bit of a feast every now and then! We are self confessed foodies with soft-spots for goods that have been made in this little country we call home. There’s a veritable plethora of food and drink being made on our doorsteps – so here’s our round up of 10 of the best Welsh food & drink producers…
Nomnom Chocolate
Set up by inspirational young entrepreneur Liam Burgess when he was just 18 years old, this is a little company with a big heart. It is run by a small team of people in Llanboidy – each one in their early twenties, full of enthusiasm and passion for their product. And what a product it is! Nomnom chocolate has been real hit at Slate House’s Neath store and we love hearing about the fantastic new flavours on offer, which change seasonally, keeping things fresh and exciting.
Purple Moose
Based in the historic harbour town of Porthmadog, The Purple Moose brewery is a ’40-Barrel’ micro-brewery. Widely available in North Wales but scarcely seen in the South, there are five standard Purple Moose beers to look out for – all of which are stocked at Slate House’s Neath store.
Celtic Spirit Co.
As the oldest spirit company in Wales, Celtic Spirit Company know a thing or two about making fine alcoholic spirits and liqueurs. Using family recipes dating back to the 1890’s they have received high praise for their products, with Danzy Jones, Wales’ only old style mellow liqueur winning gold at the prestigious True Taste Awards. Alongside Danzy Jones, look out for their Poteen, Black Mountain and Innkeeper’s Tipple.
Clam’s Handmade Cakes
The Clam’s story began in Abergavenny, where their coffee house was established back in 1981. Fast-forward to 2016 and the bakery has re-located to Ebbw Vale where a small, dedicated team hand make cakes. Determined to stay true to their origins, they crack real eggs, use real ingredients and provide excellent customer service. They even use the 1981 Clam’s Coffee House oven – apparently it’s great for boiling caramel!
Calon Lân
Launched at the Royal Welsh Show in 2013, Calon Lân’s beautifully branded range includes delicious chutneys, jams, sauces and preserves. Made in small batches in Pwllheli, the Calon Lân team uses traditional recipes to deliver a “homemade” eating experience. So whether you want to liven up your dishes with fiery scotch bonnet chilli jam or make a traditional Victoria Sponge with some sweet strawberry preserve, there is a Calon Lân provision for every culinary opportunity!
Tan y Castell
From humble beginnings when batches of Welsh cakes were made in the proprietor’s farmhouse kitchen and sold at local farm shops, Tan y Castell has become a household name in and around Wales. At Slate House’s Neath store, we often stock batches of Tan y Castell Welsh cakes – but they’re never around for long! Tan Y Castell Welsh cakes are baked using a traditional Recipe with no additives, preservatives or added salt and much of the baking is still done by hand.
Celteg Country Wines
The team at Celteg specialise in turning fruits and other raw ingredients into little bottles of heaven! They source ingredients from all over the world to ensure only the best quality ingredients go into their wines all year round. Of course, ingredients like fresh elderflowers are abundant in the Welsh countryside, so they are able to collect them from their doorstep in Ceredigion – and deliver it to the Slate House store’s doorstep in Neath for you to enjoy!
Coaltown Coffee
Coaltown Coffee is roasted in Ammanford, a former bustling mining town that once produced anthracite coal. Coal was a staple resource during the industrial revolution, deemed “Black Gold” by many. When Ammanford colliery closed in 2003, it brought about a depression and slow demise of the town. Ammanford is a good town full of good people and that’s why Scott and Gordon James decided to open a coffee roastery there. With it, they aim to breathe life into their community, provide opportunities for employment and ultimately bring back the Black Gold that the town was once so proud of. At Slate House, we are huge supporters of that cause.
Tregroes Waffles
Tregroes Waffles is a small, family run bakery based in the Teifi Valley, South-West Wales. It all started back in 1983 when Kees Huysmans, having baked a fresh supply of waffles at home in the small village of Tregroes and armed with his waffle iron and market stall, braved the cold on Bonfire night and took his newly invented recipe to be tried and tested on the hungry people of Henllan Railway. It was a surprisingly successful night, and it marked the beginning of the Tregroes Waffles story. For over 30 years, they have been producing Waffles in the area using only the best ingredients – and you can definitely tell! If you haven’t tried Tregroes Waffles yet, you really are missing a treat.
Halen Môn
In 1997, the Halen Mȏn founders were brainstorming new business ideas. They left a saucepan of seawater to boil on the Aga in their family kitchen and as the salt crystals started to form, they knew they’d struck culinary gold. In 1999, they started supplying Halen Môn Sea Salt to Swains, their local butcher and today, Halen Mȏn sea salt is enjoyed around the world by chefs, food lovers and even the odd US president. If you want to find out why it’s so widely used, pop to our Neath store and pick up a jar. You’ll never look back!
Of course, every producer on this list has one thing in common – apart from the fact that they are all fabulous – they can all be found on the shelves at the Slate House store in Neath! So if we’ve tickled your tastebuds, be sure to pay us a visit – we are on Angel Street, where as well as Welsh-made food and drink, you can also find a wide range of handmade Welsh slate homeware, Welsh blankets, soy candles and natural soaps.
