Footie Foody Munchies

‘Wales. Food. Drink. In That Order.’

The FIFA World Cup 2022 has seen the Welsh men’s team in a World Cup competition for the first time since 1958. This is cause for celebration, and while there are no guarantees progression to the final is on the menu, great food certainly is. So if you’re planning on getting your friends and family over for an evening of cheering on the boys, or your second favourite team, with a tipple or two, here are our top recommendations for a fabulously Welsh FIFA World Cup larder.

Snacks & Grazing

To kick things off, the ultimate football cuisine - here are some of our favourite snacks. Perfect for any main event, our choice is Jones Salted Popcorn. Delicately coated in Halen Môn sea salt, this handmade popcorn will leave you wanting ‘Moore Moore Moore’, if football chants are your thing (£1.19 / 20g. Visit blasarfwyd.com for details).

If you’re really after something to get your teeth into, try Trailhead’s Beef Jerky. Original, Black Pepper, Spicy Chilli Beef and BBQ, there’s a flavour to suit everyone’s palate. Better yet, Trailhead’s Beef Jerky is made from 100% PGI Welsh Beef. (Available from £3.30 / 40g from trailheadfinefoods.co.uk).

Not quite satisfied? Maybe you’re after something sweet. Keep your cool on match day with some Cool Candy! The Cool Candy range includes Fizzy Apples, Rainbow Sours, and classics such as Giant Strawberries, and did we mentioned they’re Vegan? At £4.47 / 105g, they’re very cool indeed. (Visit blasarfwyd.com for details).

Cheese

Where there be snacks, let there be cheese, and plenty of it. We recommend Caws Teifi ’s award winning Organic Halloumi. Great served grilled, fried, barbecued or baked or even as fries to enjoy with the game. (£4.95 per 200g, teifi cheese.co.uk).

Caws Cenarth’s Mature Cheese with Leeks is a creamy, mature cheese with the addition of a traditional Welsh ingredient and fl avour profi le, leeks. Soft and crumbly, this cheese would make for a taste sensation in sauces or crumbled into mash potato. (£5.50 per 200g, cawscenarth.co.uk).

For the more traditional cheese lovers and cheddar fanatics, we suggest Collier’s Powerful Extra Mature Cheddar (Waitrose, £3.00 / 350g) or Dragon Mature Welsh Cheddar (Asda, £1.70 / 180g) as delicious and reliable cheeses to serve to guests or all to yourself.

Meat

Th e main event for the main event! If you’re looking to impress with some seriously fl avourful, hearty burgers, then look no further than Edwards of Conwy Welsh Steak Burgers (Asda, £2.75 / 320g). Made with prime cuts of 100% PGI Welsh Beef to an award-winning recipe, these delicious burgers will get you through 90 minutes of joy, sorrow and everything in-between.

Wilfreds Th e Saucy Cow traditional Steak & Ale

Pie from the Lewis Pie & Pastry Co. is also high on our lists of match day recommendations. Traditional, fl avourful, and made with real Welsh ale with a kick of mustard for good measure, this is a true winter warmer and is an essential to any match evening in (£14.50, 4 PK, available at lewispies.co.uk).

Myrddin Heritage have a fantastic range of breakfast treats for you to enjoy. Th eir Breakfast Chipolatas (£4.50, 8 PK, available at myrddinheritage.wales) are designed specifi cally for breakfast and will cook as quickly as your bacon does. As well as Myrddin Heritage’s excellent chipolatas, why not try their signature black pudding, Pwdin Du. Made with free-range back fat from ex breeding sows at Myrddin Heritage, it completes any full breakfast. (£3.80 / 350g, available at myrddinheritage.wales).

Alcohol

We all might need something to calm the nerves when the World Cup comes around this November, and we recommend a beverage inspired by the team’s captain. Bale Lager by Glamorgan Brewery Co. is a refreshingly crisp lager brewed in partnership with the man himself, Gareth Bale! Th is match winning brew boasts a balanced hop profi le with a cute back-heel assist by a subtle biscuit fl avoured malt (£21.42 / 12 x 440ml, available at glamorganbrewing.co.uk).

Of course if you really want to get behind the boys, Brecon Brewing’s Th e Red Wall Lager is the ultimate beverage. Th e Offi cial Lager of Welsh Football Team, this beer is perfect for any sofa supporter wanting to be part of the Red Wall (For details, head to breconbrewing.co.uk).

If it’s ale you’re aft er, Untapped Brewing Co.’s Ember Ale is strong, rich and perfect for cold nights in on the sofa. It also boasts awards such as CAMRA Champion beer of Wales and Silver Champion Winter beer of Britain! (£27.50 / 12 x 500ml, available at www.untappedbrew.com).

Wrexham Lager’s Bootlegger 1974 Pilsner also deserves an honourable mention. Inspired by living Welsh legend and social media superstar, Bootlegger, this light, delicious pilsner is available in a ‘working man’s kettle’ – a 5L keg (£22.50 / 5L, available at wrexhamlager.co.uk).

If lager isn’t your style, then the light refreshing botanicals of Aber Falls Welsh Gin is just the thing for you. From small batch variants, to traditionally fl avoured gins, there’s plenty to choose from, but Aber Falls Orange Marmalade Gin is our recommendation. Boasting a refi ned balance of sweet notes with bitter orange fl avours, this will cut through all of that delicious match day food (Morrisons, £25 / 70cl).

Penderyn’s 10th Icons of Wales Edition whisky – ‘YMA O HYD’ is produced in partnership with FA Wales as their offi cial whisky for the Wales campaign at this year’s World Cup. Named aft er Dafydd Iwan’s patriotic anthem of the same name, this whiskey is smooth, with notes of caramel and black pepper spices (£40 / 70cl, available at penderyn.wales).

The Fan Zone

Understandably, you might not choose to stay at home and may want to fi nd a nearby fan zone or pub with the game on, and as this will be a historic winter World Cup, you’re going to need to keep warm. Melin Tregwynt off er a fabulous array of garments to keep you warm over the coming autumn winter months, including scarfs, coats, jumpers and gloves. Our favourites are Melin Tregwynt’s Ty Newydd Alpaca Pom Beanie (£35, store.melintregwynt.co.uk) and the traditional Diamond Tweed Flat Cap (£30, store.melintregwynt.co.uk).