welsh welcome packs toolkit - food skills cymru€¦ · wales has a long and proud tradition of...

1Food Provenance Events Toolkit

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Welsh Welcome Packs Toolkit

180416 LANTRA Welcome Pack ENG Toolkit PRINT.indd 1 25/04/2018 12:42

Welsh Welcome Packs Toolkit2

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.


3Welsh Welcome Packs Toolkit



What’s so special about Welsh food and drink?Our grass is green, our rivers are deep, our mountains are high and our natural larder is plentiful. Wales has a long and proud tradition of producing outstanding food and drink, with an abundance of natural resources and raw food materials, and a concerted focus on developing new technologies in food production.

Like most of what we do in Wales, Welsh food and drink is rooted in our communities, shaped by our landscape, and honed by our culture and language. Whether it’s artisan or mass-market, the warmth of our people comes through in the quality of what we produce.

Wales is a place where the traditional is re-imagined by a new generation of bright young things, and provenance is protected by experienced old hands who have farmed the fields, and baked the bread, for decades.

Provenance. Why use Welsh food?

Our grass is green, our rivers are deep, our mountains are high and our natural larder is plentiful. Wales has a long and proud tradition of producing outstanding food and drink with an abundance of natural resources and raw food materials.

Like most of what we do in Wales, Welsh food and drink is rooted in our communities, shaped by our landscape and honed by our culture and language. At its best, Welsh food is simple: the best ingredients, cooked skilfully by passionate people.



Why should I provide a welcome pack?

‘You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression’! Keeping this in mind, the welcome your guests experience when they first set foot in your accommodation is crucial. The game 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.



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 middle of the country?

Your welcome pack should reflect your offering, and with it your prices.

Who are the guests? 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? 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? 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.

Okay, I’m convinced. How do I decide what to put in the pack?

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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

How can I make the pack unique?

There is nothing more unique to your accommodation than the location it is set in, so make the most of your surroundings by including local artisan-type products. Link up with your local producers and include their marketing material to provide your guests with some information and encourage them to buy more from the source. You could try and negotiate a discount for your guests with local suppliers, or ask local suppliers for a few samples in exchange for promoting their product.

Collect some seasonal herbs or flowers from the garden and make a display to welcome your guests.

Handwrite a welcome note that includes a list of the places you purchased the supplies from, along with directions to the local market, deli, farm shop, butcher, fishmonger and bakery. You could also note which days or weeks the local markets and farmers markets are held.

Ask your guests if they have any dietary requirements and offer vegetarian, gluten free or other suitable products in the hamper.



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.

Welsh Welcome hamper ideas.

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)

The Basics.

Tan y Castell mini Welshcakes/Fabulous Welsh CakesNom Nom Chocolate Bars, Wickedly Welsh Chocolate, Sarah Bunton ChocolateThe Welsh Fudge CompanyCoedcanlas Sicilian Lemon MarmaladeSelwyn’s Seaweed SnacksHalen Môn Pure Anglesey Sea Salt, Halen Gwyr Gower Sea Salt, Pembrokeshire Sea SaltBacheldre Millers Malted Artisan Bread MixParsons LaverbreadWelsh HoneyCold pressed rapeseed Oil, Blodyn AurRange of Calon Lân SaucesThe Pembrokeshire Beach Food Company rangePenderyn Miniatures – whisky, gin, vodka, Merlyn liqueurMinature Dà Mhile gins with Llanllyr Source tonic

Mini Gifts.



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 Llyn)Welsh tea and coffee (Welsh Brew Tea, Dwyfor Coffee, Coaltown Coffee, Poblado, Cariad Coffee)

Breakfast Hamper.



Welsh Brew teaTan y Castell Welsh CakesBara Brith Tregroes Toffee WafflesAberffraw Traditional Shortbread BiscuitsWelsh butter (Dragon, Shirgar, Calon Wen, Castle Dairies, Collier’s)

Afternoon Tea.



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)

Cheese and wine or cider.



Tomos a Lilford Annwyl Pale AleCondessa Slow Gin LiqueurAncre Hill Sparkling WineWelsh Potted Pig Pâté or Patchwork PâtésTregroes Cheese CrackersPenderyn VodkaJones o Gymru CrispsWelsh Chocolate or Treacle Toffee

Party Hamper.



A joint of Welsh beef, Welsh lamb, Welsh pork, poultry or Welsh gameLocally sourced potatoes and seasonal vegetablesCalon Lân range of sauces such as Mustard, Mint Sauce, Horseradish, Redcurrant jellyA bottle of Welsh wine, ales or ciders

Sunday Roast.



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, Ty 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.

Guest room welcome tray.



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 eggsBara 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

Traditional Welsh recipes.


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

Useful links.

Welsh Welcome Packs Toolkit16 Design: four.cymru Images: © Crown Copyright (2018) Visit Wales, Janet Baxter

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


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