Welsh Welcome Packs Toolkit

foodskills.cymru Food Provenance Events Toolkit 1

180416 LANTRA Welcome Pack ENG Toolkit PRINT.indd 1 25/04/2018 12:42 Who is this toolkit for?

Do you own or manage one or a number of holiday homes, chalets, caravans, or even a tipi or two? Nothing provides a big Welsh ‘Croeso’ more than a hamper of Welsh food and drink. Whether your guests are a family with young children or a couple on a romantic break kick start their stay with food and drink sourced locally.

2 Welsh Welcome Packs Toolkit

180416 LANTRA Welcome Pack ENG Toolkit PRINT.indd 2 25/04/2018 12:42 Welsh Welcome Packs Toolkit 3

180416 LANTRA Welcome Pack ENG Toolkit PRINT.indd 3 25/04/2018 12:42 Provenance. WhyWhat’s use so Welsh special food? about Welsh food and drink? Our grass is green, our rivers are deep, our mountains are high and our natural larder is plentiful. Our grass is green, our rivers are deep, our Wales has a long and proud tradition of producing outstanding food and drink, with an abundance mountains are high and our natural larder is of natural resources and raw food materials, and a concerted focus on developing new technologies plentiful. Wales has a long and proud tradition in food production. of producing outstanding food and drink with Like most of what we do in Wales, Welsh food and drinkan abundance is rooted in of our natural communities, resources shaped and raw by our landscape, and honed by our culture and language.food Whether materials. it’s artisan or mass-market, the warmth of our people comes through in the quality of what we produce. Like most of what we do in Wales, Welsh food Wales is a place where the traditional is re-imaginedand by adrink new isgeneration rooted in ofour bright communities, young things, shaped and provenance is protected by experienced old handsby our who landscape have farmed and the honed fields, by ourand culturebaked and the bread, for decades. language. At its best, Welsh food is simple: the best ingredients, cooked skilfully by passionate people.

4 Welsh Welcome Packs Toolkit

180416 LANTRA Welcome Pack ENG Toolkit PRINT.indd 4 25/04/2018 12:42 ‘You don’t get a second chance Why should to make a first impression’! Keeping this in mind, the welcome your I provide a guests experience when they first set foot in your accommodation is crucial. The game welcome pack? has changed when it comes to self catering holidays, the flexibility and freedom offered is attracting experienced travellers with high standards. Give your guests more than they are expecting, go the extra mile, surprise them with an unexpected extra touch… you get the gist. It is fairly likely that your guests will arrive tired, hungry and a little stressed, so make them smile with a thoughtful welcome hamper on arrival.

Welsh Welcome Packs Toolkit 5

180416 LANTRA Welcome Pack ENG Toolkit PRINT.indd 5 25/04/2018 12:42 Okay, I’m convinced. How do I decide what to put in the pack?

Follow these steps...

What type of accommodation do you offer? Is it a luxurious, high-end rental, or a back to basics retreat in the 1 middle of the country? Your welcome pack should reflect your offering, and with it your prices.

Who are the guests? 2 Are they a family with young children? Is it a couple on a romantic getaway? Are they bringing a furry friend? Provide child and animal-friendly treats to impress the parents.

When are they arriving? 3 For late arrivals, include something they can whip up for supper, a few breakfast items and maybe some herbal teas or hot chocolate. Lunch time arrivals might appreciate some locally grown fresh vegetables to ignite their culinary skills for dinner. And there is no time constraint on tucking into a home baked cake.

Are they celebrating an occasion? 4 You can theme your offering to cater for birthdays, honeymoons and anniversaries, for example including a bottle of local wine, ales or ciders, a bowl of fresh fruit, or a selection of local chocolates along with a greetings card.

6 Welsh Welcome Packs Toolkit

180416 LANTRA Welcome Pack ENG Toolkit PRINT.indd 6 25/04/2018 12:42 How can I make the pack unique?

There is nothing more unique to your Collect some seasonal herbs or flowers from accommodation than the location it is set in, the garden and make a display to welcome so make the most of your surroundings by your guests. including local artisan-type products. Link up Handwrite a welcome note that includes a list with your local producers and include their of the places you purchased the supplies from, marketing material to provide your guests along with directions to the local market, deli, with some information and encourage them farm shop, butcher, fishmonger and bakery. to buy more from the source. You could try You could also note which days or weeks the and negotiate a discount for your guests with local markets and farmers markets are held. local suppliers, or ask local suppliers for a few samples in exchange for promoting their Ask your guests if they have any dietary product. requirements and offer vegetarian, gluten free or other suitable products in the hamper.

What does that look like in practice?

Here are a few examples: www.coastalcottages.co.uk/concierge/hampers/ www.walescottageholidays.co.uk/holiday-extras/luxury-welsh-hampers www.blakelowcottages.co.uk/holiday-cottages/hamper/ www.forestcottages.co.uk/hampers.html www.menaiholidays.co.uk/cottage-hampers www.littlewelshhampers.com/collections/hampers-collection

Welsh Welcome Packs Toolkit 7

180416 LANTRA Welcome Pack ENG Toolkit PRINT.indd 7 25/04/2018 12:42 Welsh Welcome hamper ideas.

Providing a taste of the locality can be as simple as having Welsh milk, butter and a loaf of bread available on arrival, a few bottles of the local ale, a small pot of local honey or just a jar of homemade jam or marmalade ready for breakfast. The following is a list of other options including some ideas for food producers – it is by no means a comprehensive guide, and we would recommend conducting some research of your own to create a unique hamper. These hampers could be pre-ordered by your guests for an additional cost or factored into the overall rental.

The Basics.

Milk (Calon Wen, Totally Welsh, Llaeth Cymreig, Daioni) Butter (Dragon, Shirgar, Castle Dairies, Collier’s) Locally baked Artisan bread (Alex Gooch, Tan Lan Bakery, Welsh Bakery) Welsh tea and coffee (Welsh Brew Tea, Poblado, Coal Town Coffee, Dwyfor Coffee)

Mini Gifts.

Tan y Castell mini Welshcakes/Fabulous Welsh Cakes Nom Nom Chocolate Bars, Wickedly Welsh Chocolate, Sarah Bunton Chocolate The Welsh Fudge Company Coedcanlas Sicilian Lemon Marmalade Selwyn’s Seaweed Snacks Halen Môn Pure Anglesey Sea Salt, Halen Gwyr Gower Sea Salt, Pembrokeshire Sea Salt Bacheldre Millers Malted Artisan Bread Mix Parsons Laverbread Welsh Honey Cold pressed rapeseed Oil, Blodyn Aur Range of Calon Lân Sauces The Pembrokeshire Beach Food Company range Penderyn Miniatures – whisky, gin, vodka, Merlyn liqueur Minature Dà Mhile gins with Llanllyr Source tonic

8 Welsh Welcome Packs Toolkit

180416 LANTRA Welcome Pack ENG Toolkit PRINT.indd 8 25/04/2018 12:42 Breakfast Hamper.

Bacon and sausages from your local butcher/farm shop (Edwards of Conwy, Charcuterie) Locally baked bread (Alex Gooch, Tan Lan Bakery, Welsh Bakery) Welsh butter (Dragon, Shirgar, Castle Dairies, Collier’s, Calon Wen) Yoghurts (Llaeth y Llan, Rachel’s Organic, Daffodil Foods) Local free range eggs (Birchgrove, Ochr Cefn Isa, Ty Mawr, Ellis Eggs) Mushrooms (The Mushroom Garden) Welsh milk (Calon Wen, Totally Welsh, Daioni, Ty Tanglwyst, Llaethdy Llyˆn) Welsh tea and coffee (Welsh Brew Tea, Dwyfor Coffee, Coaltown Coffee, Poblado, Cariad Coffee)

Welsh Welcome Packs Toolkit 9

180416 LANTRA Welcome Pack ENG Toolkit PRINT.indd 9 25/04/2018 12:42 Afternoon Tea.

Welsh Brew tea Tan y Castell Welsh Cakes Bara Brith Tregroes Toffee Waffles Aberffraw Traditional Shortbread Biscuits Welsh butter (Dragon, Shirgar, Calon Wen, Castle Dairies, Collier’s)

10 Welsh Welcome Packs Toolkit

180416 LANTRA Welcome Pack ENG Toolkit PRINT.indd 10 25/04/2018 12:42 Cheese and wine or cider. Cheese (Snowdonia Cheese Company Mini Truckles (200g), Caws Cenarth, Caws Teifi, Carmarthenshire Cheese Company) Crackers (Cradoc’s Crackers, Cnwc Crackers, Tregroes Cheese Crackers) Preserves (Radnor Preserves Chutney, Preservation Society, Penylan Preserves, Goetre Farm, Miranda’s Preserves, Welsh Lady Preserves, Wendy Brandon) Welsh Wines (Ancre Hill, Glyndwr, Gwinllan Conwy, Llaethliw, Llanerch, Pant Du, Penarth, Sugarloaf, Parva Farm, White Castle Vineyards) Ciders and perries (Apple County Cider, Pant Du, Ty Gwyn, Gwynt y Ddraig) Fruit and hedgerow wines (Cwm Deri Vineyard)

Welsh Welcome Packs Toolkit 11

180416 LANTRA Welcome Pack ENG Toolkit PRINT.indd 11 25/04/2018 12:43 Party Hamper.

Tomos a Lilford Annwyl Pale Ale Condessa Slow Gin Liqueur Ancre Hill Sparkling Wine Welsh Potted Pig Pâté or Patchwork Pâtés Tregroes Cheese Crackers Penderyn Vodka Jones o Gymru Crisps Welsh Chocolate or Treacle Toffee

12 Welsh Welcome Packs Toolkit

180416 LANTRA Welcome Pack ENG Toolkit PRINT.indd 12 25/04/2018 12:43 Sunday Roast.

A joint of Welsh beef, Welsh lamb, Welsh pork, poultry or Welsh game Locally sourced potatoes and seasonal vegetables Calon Lân range of sauces such as Mustard, Mint Sauce, Horseradish, Redcurrant jelly A bottle of Welsh wine, ales or ciders

Welsh Welcome Packs Toolkit 13

180416 LANTRA Welcome Pack ENG Toolkit PRINT.indd 13 25/04/2018 12:43 Guest room welcome tray.

This is the perfect opportunity to introduce a local taste and provide a warm Welsh welcome. The list below includes a range of potential producers: Coffee Dwyfor: full range including Fairtrade coffee sticks, envelope tea bags, fruit and herbal teas, hot chocolate, milk, sugar and individually wrapped biscuits. Welsh Brew: coffee sachets, tea, speciality teas and tea infusions. Brecon Carreg, Princes Gate, Tyˆ Nant, Cerist, Decantae, Pant Du all offer small bottles of still and sparkling water. Those are the easy options. Want to make your tray unique? Find a company local to you and ‘Welshify’ the traditional biscuit offering into mini Welshcakes or bara brith. Fabulous Welshcakes in Cardiff: range of flavours in individual packets. Aberffraw Biscuits: twin packs of traditional shortbread biscuits. Tan y Castell: pre-wrapped two pack Welsh cakes. Popty Bakery Ltd: Blas y Castell – pre-wrapped individual Welshcakes, shortbread and barabrith slices. If you have a bit more time on your hands, bake homemade biscuits and serve them in Kilner jars to create a personal touch that will leave a lasting impression.

14 Welsh Welcome Packs Toolkit

180416 LANTRA Welcome Pack ENG Toolkit PRINT.indd 14 25/04/2018 12:43 Traditional Welsh recipes.

With time on their hands maybe guests could be encouraged to try out a few traditional Welsh recipes if you provide a recipe and the ingredients in a ready made hamper, such as: Welsh cakes – flour, Welsh butter, sugar, dried fruit, local eggs Bara brith – Welsh Brew tea, dried fruit, sugar, flour, spice, local eggs Cawl – Welsh lamb or beef, root vegetables, leeks, parsley and a chunk of Caerphilly cheese to accompany the finished soup

Welsh Welcome Packs Toolkit 15

180416 LANTRA Welcome Pack ENG Toolkit PRINT.indd 15 25/04/2018 12:43 Useful links.

For a more comprehensive list of Welsh food producers see the link below: It’s not all about the celebrities of the food sector. Take a glance through the Welsh food and drink producers and wholesalers directory – a comprehensive reference guide to all major suppliers in Wales. https://issuu.com/uwicpublications/docs/welsh_food_and_drink_directory_2016

Most supermarkets supply a limited range of Welsh products such as Welsh Brew tea, milk, butter, cheese, eggs, preserves, meats, sausages and bacon, vegetables, biscuits, Welsh cakes and bara brith. Farm shops, local delis or specialist food shops sometimes offer an ordering and delivery service so it’s worth asking. Alternatively larger distributors can also deliver direct and need only a small minimum drop for free delivery.

Wholesalers who supply Welsh food and drink: Blas ar Fwyd www.blasarfwyd.com Harlech Frozen Foods www.harlech.co.uk Castell Howell www.castellhowellfoods.co.uk Tayst www.tayst.co.uk Vin Sullivan www.vinsullivan.com Mintons www.mintonsgoodfood.co.uk

For more information contact the team at foodskills.cymru | 01982 552646 [email protected] | @foodskillscymru

180416 LANTRA Welcome Pack ENG Toolkit PRINT.indd 16 25/04/2018 12:43