Christmas Countdown

Twelve Foodie Days of Christmas

Join us on a special taste.blas version of a classic Christmas carol to ensure that you get to enjoy the best of Welsh food and drink, not only on Christmas day, but on all twelve days of the o cial festive season! No partridges this year but please read on to nd out more about the goodies you can spoil yourself on this Christmas containing some of our favourite products from the past year (and some that have been our favourites for years!).

On the rst day of Christmas taste.blas gave to me…

Crackers

Let’s kick o Christmas with a simple staple - the humble cracker! We recommend Cradoc’s savoury biscuits. Made from fresh vegetables and baked in the foothills of the Brecon Beacons, Cradoc’s is made supporting local businesses, and made to be suitable for a variety of diets as they contain no palm oil, eggs or nuts. Cradoc’s come in a variety of avours: Chilli, Ginger and Garlic, Leek and Caerphilly Cheese and our personal favourite, Lemongrass, Coconut and Chilli. Book early to get in your Christmas order and avoid disappointment. Pair with Castle Dairies butter roll with Halen Mon salt crystals to really bring out the avour of the crackers.

On the second day of Christmas...

Cheese

What else are you going to pair those crackers with? Few things can beat the avour combination of Welsh crackers and cheese. Try an artisinal Welsh cheese like Caws Tei . Experts in the eld, Caws Tei specialise in making unpasteurised cheese and are the longest established artisan cheesemakers in Wales, winning a number of awards. Try some of their more unusual avours this Christmas like their seaweed cheese, or their nettle cheese. If that’s not your thing, then Caws Tei also o er a range of more common cheeses such as halloumi, Caerphilly cheese, and smoked cheese. If this still isn’t your thing and you’re just looking for the best Cheddar, then go no further than Collier’s powerful cheese.

On the third day of Christmas...

Whisky

A warming tipple that you might put out for Father Christmas, or whoever else likes a whisky! Aber Falls distills their whisky between Snowdonia and the Menai Strait, using the purest Welsh water and other specially cra ed Welsh ingredients from the surrounding area. Aber Falls is the rst whisky distillery in Wales for over a 100 years, and is one of only four current whisky distilleries in Wales. eir whisky is rich and full-bodied, embodying the Welsh landscape. With an aroma of vanilla and to ee, candied citrus fruits, gs and sultanas, how could you resist? Aber Falls has a strong focus on sustainability at their distillery, so you can enjoy a glass at Christmas entirely guilt free.

On the fourth day of Christmas…

Meat

e main feature of Christmas dinner for many families is a turkey or a cut of meat; if you want to stay local with your purchases to avoid the stress of late lorry deliveries and last minute food shopping on Christmas Eve, check out Welsh Luing Beef or Pembrokeshire Lamb.

Hot Chocolate

Although we’re a big fan of Welsh Brew Tea here at taste.blas magazine, this time of year calls for something a bit more indulgent - hot chocolate! And Welsh Brew Tea is happily accommodating with their Luxury Hot Chocolate. Decadent and luxurious, you can buy a 300g pot to drink a er a winter walk or if you’re a particularly big fan of hot chocolate, you can get a 2kg pot to keep you going through the winter months!

On the sixth day of Christmas...

Cranberry Sauce

Welsh Lady Preserves makes a range of jams, relishes and chutneys but today we want to focus on one of their more festive products - cranberry sauce! A Christmas staple, add a dollop of this cranberry sauce to your turkey, goose or nut roast for that perfect sharp tang to complement your Christmas dinner. You could make your own… but why bother when Welsh Lady Preserves have done it all for you? Welsh Lady Preserves have won a remarkable number of awards, including Great Taste Awards, for a reason that makes their products perfect for the dinner table, or as a gi .

On the seventh day of Christmas...

Aber Falls’ salted to ee gin is beautifully rich and sweet, but not at all sickly. Made in collaboration with Halen Môn, the salt adds an intense note of Anglesey sea salt. Praised by the likes of Gordon Ramsay, Heston Blumenthal and even Barack Obama for its unique taste, and winning a silver award for the International Spirits Challenge, you should get your hands on this before everyone catches on, but keep it our secret!

Fudge

A great love of ours around Christmas time is fudge, and many of us can always count on nding some in our stockings here at taste.blas. Two brands that give a twist on the classic that we are particularly excited to try this year are Coco Pzazz and Halen Mon!

You may know Halen Mon as pioneers of the salt industry, but they use their salt in many di erent products, including fudge! eir ‘Sea-Kissed Vanilla Fudge’ is irresistibly buttery and crumbly, with just the right amount of salt to cut through the sweetness.

Coco Pzazz has taken it a step further by coming up with a avour we’ve never seen before - Christmas pudding fudge! Packed full of festivity, with raisins, glace cherries and rum avouring, this is sure to put a grin on your face!

On the ninth day of Christmas…

Fish

Another step away from tradition but still a delicious treat is to eat sh over the Christmas period. Smoked salmon is a favourite for a posh Christmas breakfast with a poached egg or a light dinner to pair with le overs from Christmas lunch. Get yourself some salmon from Black Mountain Smokery if you’re really in the mood to spoil yourself this Christmas.

On the tenth day of Christmas...

Mead

If you’re interested in branching out with your avours, few sensations can beat the rst golden sip of mead. A sweet drink known as honey wine, check out our ‘A Taste of Honey’ article by Jon Gower from our summer issue for the full history! He recommends trying Mountain Mead but we can also highly recommend Wye Valley Meadery.

On the eleventh day of Christmas...

Christmas Pudding

If you’re not up to making your own Christmas pudding, or you’re the only one in your family who likes them, get one of the small Christmas puddings from Blas ar Fwyd. eir Christmas puddings have 2 great taste stars, enough to convert anyone to the Christmas taste.

On the twel h day of Christmas…

Boxing Day Curry

Tired from all the cooking on Christmas Day? You’re not the only one. If you’ve got lots of le over turkey, then grab a pot of Boxing Day curry sauce to add those le overs to. Samosa Co. have a jar of North Indian Curry Sauce ready to go for you - just open, heat it up, and add whatever you want to it.