Food Lovers' Break

The Riverside Real Food Market and the Roath Real Food Market are thriving community markets and Cardiff's leading markets for Welsh and organic produce. It provides tasty fresh food at good prices for both local people and visitors. It's a great place to buy, and taste, chutneys, goats cheese, French bread, organic pork, locally grown vegetables and herbs. And don't forget the natural soap, massage and fairtrade produce. The markets are run as a not-for-profit community enterprise and allows small and local producers to sell directly to consumers - giving them better margins. The Riverside Market takes place every Sunday from 10:00 - 14:00 at the Fitzhamon Embankment (opposite the Millennium Stadium) and the Roath Market every Saturday from 9.30 -13:00 at Keppoch Streeet, Roath (from November 3rd 2007).

Cheese making has a long tradition in Wales. Early cheeses resembled the famous Caerphilly and were immersed in brine. The very same cheese was used as part of the divorce settlement under the laws of Hywel Dda. It seems that the cheese in brine went to the wife and the cheese which was hung up, went to the husband.
South East Wales has also had its pioneers with some of the best recognised cheeses being produced at Abergavenny, and Caerphilly cheese being manufactured after many years absence, in the town of Caerphilly. Castle Dairies Ltd (Tel: +44 (0) 29 20 883 981) is manufacturer of the only Caerphilly Cheese made in Caerphilly, though the company has a range of other 'Welsh' branded products including Welsh Cheddar Cheese, Double Gloucester, Red Leicester and Welsh salted packet butter. This range (or part of it) is available at the following supermarkets in Wales: ASDA, Safeway and Somerfield.

Whether you're a professional chef or a budding amateur it's very important to have the right tools for the job when you step into the kitchen. Visit Kitchens (14 High Street, Tel +44 (0) 29 20 229 814). Here you will find everything you need for the kitchen, plenty of cutlery, crockery, cookbooks and ergonomically utensils for the most adventurous cooks. At Lakeland (11 Wharton Street, Tel: +44 (0) 29 2023 5050) you'll find innovative kitchen gadgets (and gadgets for the bathroom, house and garden) varying from picnic sets, food storage, breakfast necessities, electricals and much more.

Indulge yourself in a Welsh tasty break at home by making the following traditional recipe for a traditional sweet cake.

 

Bara Brith (speckled bread)

450g (1lb) mixed dried fruit
300ml (1/2 pint) tea
2 tbsp marmalade
1 egg, beaten
6 tbsp soft brown sugar
1 tsp mixed spice
450g (1lb) self-raising flour
honey to glaze

1. Soak the fruit overnight in the tea.

2. Next day, mix the marmalade, egg, sugar, spice and flour. Spoon into a greased 900g (1lb) loaf tin and bake in a warm oven (gas 3, 325ºF, 170ºC) for one and three quarter hours or until the centre is cooked through. Check from time to time that the top doesn’t brown too much, and cover with a sheet of foil or move down a shelf in the oven if necessary.

3. Once cooked, leave the Bara Brith to stand for 5 minutes, then tip out of the tin on to a cooling tray. Using a pastry brush, glaze the top with honey.

4. Serve sliced with salted butter and some tasty farmhouse Cheddar. Store in an airtight tin.

The flavour of the Bara Brith can be altered slightly by adding a few flavours. When soaking the fruit, substitute 1/4 of the fluid with a whisky liqueur. Replace the honey and fruit juice with 2 tablespoons of marmalade. Alternatively, replace two tablespoons of fruit with chopped stem ginger, and replace the honey with lemon marmalade.