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25 Mile, Cardigan – Great Concept – But Check When Food Served

16 Apr

On Saturday I was driving back home from Pembrokeshire and called into Cardigan to pay a further visit to the 25 Mile establishment. It’s about a three or four weeks since I last found this place and readers, it did impress me! So much so that I was asking people if they’d been, thinking I was the only one that had been missing out, but no everyone I spoke to had never visited it because they knew nothing about it!!!

So then Kath,m ever the professional, goes into her PR mode and explains that their principle is to source products from within a 25 mile radius as the crow flies, bearing in mind there are always exceptions like coffee. Actually it was their coffee supplier, Preseli Coffee, who told me about it and as I rate their Preseli Coffee enormously, that was sufficient encouragement for me to track down 25 Mile Cardigan. So my first visit was a huge success, wonderful food, great service,

I loved their local food concept and having details of where they’d sourced their products, was a bonus. The young lady that served us was delightful, smiley, helpful and friendly; even I couldn’t ask or want for more. But on Saturday, it all fell apart because when Ian and I went in and were checking out the menu which is on huge blackboards on the wall, a young man asked us if we wanted food, which we did, but then told us they stopped serving at 3.00 and the time then was 3.10pm. I’d walked in under a sing above the door which said ‘Local Eating House’ and there was another blackboard outside saying ‘Open All Day’. We did look, but couldn’t see lunchtime food as 12 – 3.00 anywhere, but there we are. The young man said everywhere in Cardigan stops food at 3.00, which was obviously acceptable and made sense to him, but not to me.

Firstly I’m not even sure that statement was true, but Wales relies on tourists, and it was still in theory,  the Easter holidays. He certainly wouldn’t know we were locals or tourists but either way the kitchen was closed, and we weren’t even offered a sandwich. So there was no option but for us to walk out. My suggestion is, if it’s vital that 25 Mile has to close for a break at 3.00, which obviously has to be their choice, just have a board or sign outside giving times of food service. It’s easy with hindsight to say that I shouldn’t have been tempted to pay a second visit to 25 Mile, I should have played safe, stayed in Pembrokeshire and visited
again either The Shed at Porthgain or Morawelon on the Parrog, Newport!!!

They certainly impressed me the first time, but ………………….

Hopefully some of our Best Of Welsh & Borders producers might be lucky to be supplying them

 
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Deli Delights – St Dogmaels

10 Apr

After the disappointment of Newport local produce market being cancelled on Easter Monday because of the rain……………………I was not in the best of moods driving back home, when I’d a local shopping list unfulfilled. So I decided to return via St
Dogmaels, which is in one of the many picturesque parts of Pembrokeshire and call into Deli Delights. I was confident that checking out their superb deli counter would be the best way to cheer my visitors up.

Following a move from Cardigan, owner and deli guru, Mandy Wilcox  along with her team have done a superb job
setting up in St Dogs. As well as a delicious deli counter, there are tables and chairs inside, which was just the temptation we needed to grab a table and order Welsh bacon sandwiches and a Welsh Ploughman’s. Then there was the difficult decision to decide what to drink, and spoilt for choice was certainly the problem. Mandy’s selection of leaf teas and coffees show that this is a lady who knows and understands the food trade and her local market. I knew I was in safe hands taking my visitors there, as I’d been to Deli Delights when they first moved to St Dogs. My confidence was justified as no-one was disappointed, quite the opposite, we were delighted with all our food and drink. So much so we stayed for ages, relishing yet another round of drinks as we continued our chatting.

Mandy is very supportive of local food producers, but also has a great selection of national and international products. If you are ever stuck for a gift idea for a food lover, then give a thought to a food hamper and let Mandy sort it all out for you.

Trust me, and make a point of calling in if you are ever in the area. Deli Delights is at 28 High Street, it’s really easy to find and there are tables and chairs outside when the sun breaks through!!!!

Super products, super service – you cannot ask for more.

 

 
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Still Awaiting Wag’s Food Festival Listing

10 Apr

Anger and rumours still abound about why Wag’s list is so late. But I’m hearing that organisers have this morning received their letters of confirmation of their funding from Wag.

I’m sure a press release is on its way to me, but needless to say I am not holding my breath!!!!!

Best Of Welsh & Borders producers will get the list sent through to them from our team as soon as we have it.

 
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Newport Local Produce Market

10 Apr

Easter often gives me the chance to go out and about on the Bank Holiday Friday and Monday, such a pleasant change from being chained to my computer.

I went to Haverfordwest market on Friday and then onto Newport on Monday. Trade was reasonable at Haverfordwest which was good to hear after a lot of poor reports have come into me.

However Newport was a very different story. Wind didn’t stop actually play, but the Newport Market Manager decided to cancel the market because of a forecast of gusts of wind over 30mph. The reason for this is it’s a limit imposed by St Dogmaels market, whose stalls Newport use, for Health & Safety reasons!!!

Pathetic doesn’t even cover this scenario, especially as St Dogmaels ran an Easter Fair themselves on Easter Monday, so Newport had to hire in stalls from Haverfordwest! So this was puzzling. Yes of course with that forecast, they’d have had to take extra care, but they’ve done this in the past, I think it comes under ‘sandbags and commonsense’.

I really couldn’t believe it. The Market Manager had listened to the weather report; gusts of wind were forecast, so the decision was made that the market would not run.

I assume that the Market Manager responsible for this decision has:

  1. Never worked as a market trader – or
  2. Never been self-employed when gusts of wind just don’t stop play, especially when you have the added pressure to earn some money to survive.

Surely I cannot be the only person that goes shopping in the wind and rain, can I? No of course not, otherwise most of Wales would at times be short of many basic food stuffs, sorry I’m being silly.

I was, and still am, cross with this feeble excuse for cancelling a weekly market as weekly markets are something I have been championing for years. Then Newport starts up a weekly market and I’m told by  traders that business is quite good and much appreciated by the locals – brilliant – winners all round. As I regularly travel around Pembrokeshire, I’d seen a sign telling of their Monday market, but this was my first chance to visit, so I was also very disappointed.

I have two main moans, firstly for the producers. At least three traders made contact with the market manager on the Sunday  afternoon/evening, one as late as 7.30pm to be told the market was going ahead. The Market Manager then sent out an email at 8.30pm Sunday night to say the market was cancelled. Did he/she really expect  all the traders to be sat checking their computers on Sunday night? Or have these traders all been making so much money that they can afford email phones!!!!! Was it was too much trouble for the Market Manager to telephone every trader? Well obviously it was, because it didn’t happen. But I want to
know why not?

What about the physical work the traders had already had to do to get themselves and their stock organised for Easter Monday? Vegetables had been picked, cakes baked, sausages made and some extra animals killed. To prepare produce takes planning and that is  not something that can be achieved in 5 minutes, some traders have to plan a week ahead. Then my concern moves to the locals who had possibly decided not to do a huge supermarket shop over the weekend knowing that their market would be
operating as usual on Monday. Local shoppers supporting local producers, isn’t this how it should happen?

If the Market Manager is going to continue flapping about Health & Safety procedures, then why not close the road as normal every week? Newport has the legal signs and cones, so that’s not a problem and then any traders that wish to trade in inclement weather, have the ability to do. Traders could also bring their own stands, so that would also save you a job, wouldn’t it? What I saw on Easter Monday morning, was a few determined traders running around Newport trying to find somewhere to trade from.

The more I think about this cancellation, the more puzzled I am. What difference does it make to that ‘wise’ Market Manger who decided to cancel this Easter Monday market, what did the wind and rain matter to them? Unless he/she had simply decided they’d just rather not work at all. If it’s a windy, wet day the people that are taking the risk are the traders, no-one else. If the weather deters locals attending, then obviously traders’ takings will be down, but the traders will have already paid for their stands so where is the loss for Newport? Does the Market Manager get paid regardless whether a market is run or not?

I know I’m not alone, that weekly markets are well accepted by locals and they do like the ability to do their shopping locally each and every week, it really is that simple. I wonder how many people like me decided to take the opportunity to visit a Monday or Friday market that they can only visit on this Bank Holiday?

The organisers must be loyal and supportive to the traders and the local people – goodness knows how much trade was lost through the  holiday makers that were about. I hope the Market Manager issues an apology to those poor traders who lost out big time on Easter Monday and my congratulations to those few traders who decided to trade anyway.

I’m sure some of our Best Of Welsh & Borders producers will keep me updated about Newport.

 

 
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What Progress Nearly Four Years On?

04 Apr

In July 2008 Ian and I were asked to attend a meeting in Aberystwyth with a couple of Wag personnel and a representative from the Tourism Partnership Mid Wales, to give them some help about Welsh food. Our time was of course given on a voluntary
basis………………….

Not sure if this will interest, annoy or irritate you further. So when you have time, go through them and let me know what
progress we’ve made. It’s disappointing to say the least, that in my view not a great deal in nearly four years on. I couldn’t even guesstimate the amount of money Wag (Food) has had pumped in from Europe or as where it has gone and supposedly
achieved either.

1. Sourcing – lack of knowledge within the hospitality sector of where to source certain produce.

2. No joined up thinking.

3. Local Food Talks programme has ticked the box but there is more work to be done.

4. Some producers are not very professional in their set up. They  attend ‘Farmers Markets’ etc. but are ‘lifestyle producers’       and do not have any follow on information for the ‘consumer’, i.e. business cards, brochures, websites.

5. Food Festivals – tighter control is needed on the producers that are present – some are not from Wales.

6. WAG staff should be present at food festivals.

7. Those producers that receive training through any public sector programme should be regularly reviewed.

8. Growing – start up food sector companies struggle with the ‘red tape’ with little public sector support.

9.  No joined up thinking between WAG and councils with regards to promotion of food events. There were no signs for Pwllheli, food festival this year as the local council were not supportive of them being erected.

  1. Press releases – publicity for food events can be done through a wide variety of media sources including
    Welsh Country magazine. But we receive very few press releases from food festivals.

11. Builth event – Showcase – to cold and impersonal, not enough networking by the public sector bodies attending.

12. Smaller informal networking opportunities for the hospitality sector – hotels and similar establishments need to work together on sourcing and delivery issues.

13. Grant schemes – tighter controls are needed on where those receiving grants spend the money – more emphasis and tighter controls need to be in place to ensure that they source as much as possible form within Wales.

  1. WAG – sourcing of goods and services should be more within Wales.

15. More use needs to be made of ‘good speakers’ to take forward the message on local food sourcing.

16. More opportunities for networking and sharing of good practice amongst food producers – isolation a large issue for small producers.

17. Ceredigion Chamber of Commerce poor turnout at meetings – there is a need for ‘business’ clubs for food / tourism businesses to facilitate and support networking opportunities.

18. Businesses are de-motivated – apathy within the industry.

19. Messages and feedback on the ‘food issue’ not getting through to the minister.

  1. Pubs – cafes’ a possible grading scheme could work, however advice for businesses on branding and promotion would help.

21. Good customer service is key to the success of the industry.

22. Staff who have good product and area knowledge are key to the success of any establishment.

23. Hospitality businesses should be asked ‘what they expect when on holiday’ to highlight the perceived gaps in the sector within Wales.

24. Knowing your market is key to the success of any business.

25. Visit Wales grading system is not fair – logic does not seem to apply.

26. Producers could market their produce and cafés and restaurants could promote their goods by ‘taste and sell’ events.

27. For good all round feedback, use ‘secret shoppers’ at different times of the day.

28. Food festivals and events do not provide seating for visitors on an informal basis, i.e. there is nowhere to sit and eat the food being sold.

29. WAG – PR needs to be wider – True Taste is not a recognised brand, better / clearer marketing is needed.

30. Getting producers to work closer with the hospitality sector and ensuring that the producers recognise how key these markets are to them even if they are True Taste winners.

31. No joined up approach from within WAG – food and tourism need to work closer.

 

 

 

 

 
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Festival Listing Is ‘Imminent’

03 Apr

But let’s not hold our breath!

I’m being told that to answer concerned food festivals organisers  questions as to  when this list will be sent out they’ve been told it’s imminent – well literally  bully for you wag.  I’m going to ask this question of wag, but realise how pointless it is, have you any idea how worried many of the organisers are? Or do you care? Of course you don’t, otherwise you wouldn’t be so unhelpful to these
people who are running YOUR food festivals and help you keep your jobs.

You keep sending the organisers emails saying your listing is imminent, and all they can do is still and stress whilst they wait and wait…………………

If your list is imminent, then it’s supposed to be about to happen, so why on earth can’t you just be courteous and tell those who are ringing Aber just what ‘imminent’ actually means.  I really hope you are getting as many, if not more calls than I am on this topic, so that I’m not the only one who’s totally fed-up of it. The only difference between us on this one, is that this is your delay, this is your doing – because actually you’re the one in control!

W/c 19th March you said this list would be available, but here we are rapidly approaching Easter and still no news. Hopefully you are not going to try and copy a UK Government tactic and try to bury bad news in this holiday period. This is something welshfoodbites has a particular interest in as you lot well know.

As has already been commented on by others, thank goodness wag’s not trying to run a business, or as one producer said to me this morning on the phone, if they’d a business to run, it would have been run into the ground years ago.

Oh dear wag, another own goal even when it’s your football.

I have to ask myself why many of these organisers bother helping you put on these festivals when you treat them with such contempt and rudeness.

 

 
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National Trust Appear To Be Upsetting Our Producers

03 Apr

I’ve not had many dealings with the National Trust, but have always admired the job they are doing in preserving our heritage and their on-going work for conservation and preservation.

However, what has disturbed me of late is getting feedback from quite a few producers, who initially and understandably chuffed to bits getting their produce stocked in National Trust, (NT) properties and shops are now not so pleased. The reason is money or to be precise the new payment terms from the National Trust. I’ve been told that any producer delivering and the invoicing the NT on 15th April would only be paid by the 30th June, that is payment at the end of the month following the invoice, but it may take 10 working days to process the invoice. Gosh how convenient for them.

I’m horrified by this, as I had, naively it now seems, to have this image of the NT as a fair company, on a par with the likes of John Lewis, a business you could trust. Not like one of the big four supermarkets who can make their suppliers literally jump through hoops rather than pay them promptly. If suppliers are forced to wait such a long time for their money, I’m disgusted. I’ll wait to be told my information is wrong and NT pay all their suppliers within 30 days – if not before! Another supplier not impressed with NT is one who has been waiting months, and months and months and months, to get some lines accepted and have been run around in circles, with still no decision.

I also hear of small companies having issues working in National Trust properties with planning delays and people having extended leave with no cover in their absence. Well this is a sad situation but my sympathies is of course to our producers.

I know from our Best Of Welsh & Borders producers how tough their life is and they really don’t need slow payers to add to their worries.

Many visitors come to Wales and to tour a historic house or castle is very much a part of their holiday experience. Whilst doing this they love to shop either for themselves or for a gift to take back home and its here where our Welsh food producers can fit the
bill. A gift of honey, jam, chutney, cheese, local beer or cider makes the perfect present. But if the news I’ve had through is accurate, then I can see many producers having no alternative but to stop supplying the NT and to look for other markets. Now this would be sad, obviously not just for our producers, but for the NT to have thrown away the opportunity to showcase local food from our artisan producers and offer our visitors some home grown treats. Our visitors don’t need to be offered gifts, knick knacks or tat made in China, Japan or Korea, for goodness sake offer them a selection of what is made here in Wales and be proud of that very fact – support our food producers please!!!

 
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The Shed, Fish & Chip Bistro, Porthgain, Pembrokeshire

03 Apr

I’m more than overdue to put another cheery post up and one that doesn’t focus on that three letter word, Wag.

Instead let me share my lovely lunch last Saturday, just in case like me you are fish fans, enjoy being close to the sea and also love Pembrokeshire.

Regular welshfoodbite fans will know that this is a particular favourite haunt of mine and so dear readers, you will be delighted to hear that this season it is still as good as ever!

It’s called The Shed, and the shed is a great description and sums up beautifully its rustic feel. It is situated on the quayside with views over the harbour and of course fish is what this place – sorry for yet another poor pun. They usually do though have a meat alternative and can cater for vegetarians if you let them know beforehand. We Ian and I visited they had their blackboard outside advertising fresh scones just out of the oven and try one of those with their delicious coffee or maybe be tempted with one of the delicious homemade cakes.

I polished off haddock, which was coated in a tasty local beer batter, handcut Pembrokeshire potato chips and mushy peas, whilst Ian couldn’t rest the temptation of beer battered ling and a beautiful apple and fennel salad. We ate so much even I couldn’t be
tempted with a pudding. But goodness me it was good. The Shed serves much local fish and shellfish that they’ve caught themselves; it’s landed daily and then served within hours. You can’t get fresher or local than that can you?

As the weather warms up there’s seating outside and a grassy area to the side which both children, parents and grandparents will enjoy as they run off some steam.

Loyal readers will know I’m a stickler for service, but it must be friendly and again The Shed was, as always, totally spot on. Simple and satisfying meals it what they aim to provide and they’ve certainly never let me down. I’ll be back as soon as possible to sample their delicious crab sandwiches and some more of their handcut Pembrokeshire chips – another of my weaknesses.

If you are in the area, please do pay them a visit, but it’s a good idea to ring beforehand at busy times. You find more details about The Shed and lots of other super eateries in ‘Where To Eat’ pages in Welsh Country magazine. For more info about The Shed visit: www.theshedporthgain.co.uk

 
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Proof Of Producer Power

02 Apr

I had an interesting phone call this weekend from Caravan, Motor Home and Outdoor Leisure Show which was held in Sophia Gardens, Cardiff from Friday 31st March – Sunday 1st April.

The glossy publicity PDF that was sent to traders, cited visitors expected 15,000 over the 3 days and my interest in this was because around 15 – 20 Welsh food producers were attending.

The weather was good, the site is attractive, it’s our capital city, it’s a well-established even and it is now in its 18th year.  Of course no-one can be certain if the fuel fiasco shortage had any bearing, but surely you would have expected more support from the people of Cardiff themselves, but that was not to be. Adults were being charged £5.00 entry and children under 16yrs had free entry.

So why did someone call me, I can hear you yelling?

Well the show was a disaster with only about 80 people through the gate on Friday, which was low enough to stir the traders into action. On Saturday morning the traders boycotted the gate and said unless their trade stand fees were refunded in full, the event would not continue as they were all ready to pack up and go home.

The organisers agreed and sent around a sheet of paper for all traders to complete how much they had paid for their stands. But instead of claming these troubled waters it opened another can of worms. The variants in the prices charged for stands was
well let me just say inconsistent. One stand with about 50m, paid £300k whilst another with about 13/15m, had been charged £1,800!!! Now please don’t ask me why the organisers even bothered to send this list around the traders – wouldn’t you think that somewhere in their system they would have had a record as to which trader paid what amount?

Visitors through the gates on Friday was about 85, Saturday 300 and Sunday 400, so a long, long way short of the organisers hopeful 15,000.

I really hope that all stand holders get their refunds quickly and the organisers were not just paying lip service to their demands. But traders you have my utmost admiration for making a stand– oops, sorry bad pun – and to the organisers for listening. The
traders make these events and if you cannot get your marketing and promotion right then you don’t deserve to take any money from these hard-working traders.

I’m sorry some of our Best Of Welsh & Borders were there but again 10 out of 10 guys for sticking up for yourselves – because they are not many on your side as well you know.

 

 
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Putting Local Cheese On The Map In The Vale Of Clwyd

30 Mar

Thought it would be good to share with you a good news press release that came in this morning – hope it helps some of you in the Vale of Clwyd area. PR follows:

A new initiative has been launched to turn the Vale of Clwyd into a cheese making area like Brie and Camembert. The rural development agency Cadwyn Clwyd believe the Vale’s top quality pastures are perfect for producing fine cheese. They are running special courses to encourage a new breed of artisan cheese-makers to learn the secrets that have made household names of their famous French counterparts.

The idea already has the backing of a top delicatessen, Leonardo’s in Ruthin, who would love to stock local cheese to sell alongside its array of British and Continental favourites. Ceris Brunzel-Roberts, of Leonardo’s, is keen to persuade local dairy producers to diversify into specialist cheese-making. She said: “We get lots of tourists calling and they ask about local cheeses and we would really like to be able to sell something that’s made on a local farm. Denbighshire and the Vale of Clwyd, in particular, is one of
the UK’s top dairy regions and yet we don’t have artisan cheesemakers the way they do in France and Italy. We would love to be able to stock Bodfari and Graigfechan cheeses alongside Brie and Camembert. “There is good quality cheese made at the creamery in Llandyrnog but no homemade localcheeses. If there were I’m sure it would fly off the shelves when tourists are here in the summer.”

Cadwyn Clwyd Agri-Food Project Officer Robert Price said: “We have two-day courses which we can run at the Food Technology Centre in Llangefni for anyone interested. It might be a farmer or farmer’s wife looking to diversify, it doesn’t need to be a dairy farmer, it can be someone who can access a supply of milk or perhaps someone interested in producing goat’s milk or ewe’s milk
cheese – after all we have plenty of sheep here. The same thing has been done in Anglesey with tremendous success and they now have a number of artisan cheesemakers there. Normandy is a big dairy area just like the Vale of Clwyd and there they have a Cheese Triangle with Camembert, Livarot and Pont L’Eveque, all soft white cheeses made within a few miles of each other – why not here?”

Cadwyn Clwyd will sponsor courses at Llangefni, paid for by the Rural Development Fund for Wales 2007-2013, which is funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and the Welsh Government. The cheese making courses will be held at the Food Technology Centre, in Llangefni and Paul Roberts the Centres Business Developer explained: “We are
proud of the range of added value dairy products that have been developed at the Centre. We hope to build on the success of the local cheese makers we have supported in developing their excellent products, such as Y Cwt Caws and their goat cheese, Rhyd Y
Delyn and their Camembert and Gorau Glas with their award winning blue cheese. The courses we will be running in partnership with Cadwyn Clwyd will provide an overview of the cheese making process and hopefully inspire a new group of artisan cheese producers. Going forward, the dairy production facilities at the Food Technology Centre can be rented for up to two
days a week, which really helps keep initial start-up costs to a minimum’ This is an exciting opportunity, as with some further practice and guidance from the team at the Food Technology Centre, producers will be able to achieve consistent results so as to sell a high quality cheese to a market which has proven demand, not only in Clwyd but on a national level.”

Gorau Glas has even won a top award at the renowned Nantwich Cheese Show for its soft blue veined cheese and Robert Price is keen to hear from would-be local producers keen to emulate that success.

One who is interested is Ceris’s husband, Andreas Brunzel-Roberts, who said: “I’d definitely like to have a go. We get so many enquiries that I’m sure a specialist locally made cheese would do well. If they can do it on Anglesey then there’s no reason why it couldn’t work here.”

Robert Price said that they were also keen to hear from people interested in other areas of dairy diversification such as butter and ice-cream and he added: “We are also able to hold one-day ice cream-making courses at Llangefni and there is also potential in butter so we would be interested in hearing from anyone interested in these products too.”

For more details on Cadwyn Clwyd’s cheese-making and ice-cream making courses contact Robert Price on 01824 705802 or email robert.price@cadwynclwyd.co.uk

Cadwyn Clwyd continues to look for innovative projects to support which help safeguard the area’s natural, cultural and heritage assets and maximise their economic potential for local businesses and communities, for more details visit:www.cadwynclwyd.com.uk

This project is supported by Cadwyn Clwyd Rural Development Agency. The project is part funded by the EU Rural Development Plan for Wales and the Welsh Government.

 

 
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