Last week, I took part in my first ever food tour of Cardiff – a food safari, no less, taking in some sights, history, and a lot of tastes of the fair capital. Having lived here for as long as I have, I sort of presumed I had explored all of the culinary boltholes in the centre of it. How wrong I was!
We met Sian (who was leading the tour) along with fellow tour-attendees, Doug and Val in the cafe at the castle. Doug and Val had lived here between 1985 to 1990, then moved away. You can imagine how different the city is today to when they’d been here originally.
Although we didn’t eat anything at the castle, Sian gave us a potted history of the castle through the ages. One of my favourite anecdotes was about how it used to be the Royal College of Music and Drama (as the council initially didn’t know what to do with it when it was handed over by the Butes) – Sian had music lessons there as a child. Imagine having music lessons in a castle!
Anyway, this was our first stop: bara brith and tea at Pettigrew Tea Rooms.
Pettigrew Tea Rooms
Andrew Pettigrew was Head Gardner for the Third Marquis of Bute , and the tea room is named in his honour. I am ashamed to say we ate the bara brith so quickly I didn’t manage to get a photo … (that’s the sign of some good cake!). It was really good too – super moist!
We then wandered through Castle Arcade. Although I must have walked through here hundreds of times, it was the first time I ever noticed the stag in the mirror (above the exit that goes out onto High Street – see below!)
Castle ArcadeCastle Arcade
It was then into Cardiff Indoor Market, taking a leisurely look around the stalls (I spotted some very tasty faggots and peas in a tupperware box that took my fancy!), but we stopped outside Ashton’s. You’ll know it as the fishmonger that’s at the entrance to the market from the Hayes side. Ashton’s is also the oldest limited company in Cardiff (fact!), and you can buy laverbread and cockles from them to eat there. Sian had baked some oatcakes and brought them with her, to make us small ‘tapas’ style morsels. They were absolutely delicious!
Ashton’s at the marketSian preparing our tastersFish faces
We then went on to try some cawl and Welsh ciders! This was a definite high point. (My favourite cider was the Gwynt Y Ddraig medium dry, in case you ever want to take me out for a drink).
Cawl at Yr Hen Llyfrgell
From there, we went down to the bay. Doug and Val were most excited about this part of the tour, as the bay had been in its very early re-development when they left. No Millennium Centre, no Senedd, no barrage.
To give you some perspective, this is what it would have looked like when they left …
This is what it looks like now (!)
(obviously the locations are slightly different, but you get the idea)
We wandered around the bay a bit, and Sian imparted more historical knowledge. I live in Butetown but rarely spend time just wandering around, chewing the fat. In this case, chewing on the amazing Welsh cakes from Fabulous …
Our final course was in Ffresh. They’ve recently refurbished the inside with a load of copper coloured trees – beautiful!
Also the food. OMG the food. We stuck to deserts – I had a very nice and light iced pear, followed by this amazing shared cheese board. Per las … my downfall …
Iced pearFood tourists!
After dessert, I was so full I pretty much rolled down towards the water and into the Princess Katherine, one of the water taxis that runs between town and the bay. There’s actually an onboard audio guide that gives you information about the places you’re going past as you chug past them.
SailorsAboard the Princess Katherine
“We have many spectacular mountains, a stunning coastline and a little rain – that all helps to create an ideal environment for growing produce which results in award-winning food and drink!” says Sian, who’s been running food tours for a few years now (she also reads the news and used to present the weather, so gets recognised occasionally while you’re walking around with her!). She’s also fluent in French, Italian, Spanish and German as well as English and Welsh (feel like you messed around too much in school?? Me too!).
It was wonderful having Sian to guide us – she is incredibly knowledgeable about Cardiff and so passionate about food – she told us about everything from Welsh vineyards to the history of Italian food in Cardiff. All in all, we thoroughly enjoyed our food safari – and ended up discovering some proper hidden Cardiff food gems. Cockles in the market will be on the itinerary for every trip we ever make to town, forever!
Cardiff-based Baby Queens are enjoying something of a slow burning, organic raise to public consciousness. Though they’ve been around for a while – they were first featured here on We Are Cardiff in 2014 (Baby Queens Our Cardiff Geography) – they’re now signed to SFA man Cian Ciaran’s Strangetown Records, and this year have been part of the BBC Horizons project, spearheaded by new music champion Bethan Elfyn.
The opening track of their eponymous debut is entitled: ‘Tired of Love’. The title of the track is one that we’ve seen many times in music; before our ears have even been properly aquainted with the record there’s a worry that may just be another nondescript British pop album. However, as soon as the music starts, these worries are allayed; in fact, the first track’s seems like it is deceptively there to catch the listener off guard. The track is layered with an infectious electronic drum loop, the lyrics are consciously lovesick and the production shifts between styles effortlessly; it is a signifier that the album packs no punches both lyrically and sonically. The track is evidence that the self-titled nature of the album isn’t simply out of convenience, it is a declaration of the group’s identity, both philosophically and sonically. With the group getting props from Marinia Diamandis on Twitter to write-ups on The Guardian, they’re certainly on their way to something big and show that Cardiff’s tightly-knit music community is still doing great things.
The synthesis of synthetic and organic sounds is one of the biggest positives about the album. It is difficult to properly balance these polarising sounds, but Baby Queens have balanced it competently; in fact, they haven’t just found the right balance, they’ve synthesised both sounds creatively. The soft electronic percussion of ‘Hear Me’, for example, pops with the inclusion of the relatively archaic shaker and classic guitar lines. There is an acute awareness throughout the record that the weaving together of opposing sounds leads to a much more pleasing collage of sound. The symbiosis of these two sounds ensures the album’s production stays organic and sonically interesting throughout. It’s difficult not to think of Cardiff when you hear the combination of electronics and natural sound; the electronic production winds around a subtle natural foundation much like the city itself. Cardiff is a city that juxtaposes harshly against a fertile natural landscape; the city is a symbiosis of nature and modernity much like the music it produces. The unique material culture of the city – one that is still grounded in nature despite its metropolitan allure – has been threaded into sonic palette of the record; Cardiff has left an impression on this group, perhaps even unconsciously. The group aren’t afraid to dip their toes into different styles, either, which ensures the album stays stylistically varied.
The album jumps around a few different styles with aplomb. There is a direct trip-hop and pop influence embedded in the album, but it is still stylistically varied. For example, ‘By The River’ veers into a gospel song on points with a strong Americana influence, whereas ‘Forever’ opens with a reggae guitar line and never really threatens to leave the genre for the remainder of the track. There’s always a nice surprises in each track, – like the Aphex Twin-esque drum loop at the end of ‘Forever’ – that keep the listener’s earbuds on the tip of excitement, too. The group’s ability to wind through several complicated genres speaks volumes for their chemistry. Despite foraying into several genres, their harmonies still stay solid and their identity never becomes compromised. The best thing about the album, really, is how the group are so unrelentingly themselves. Leroy’s drumming, too, deserves special mention – it is expertly measured and matured throughout.
Lyrically, too, the album displays the group’s deceiving depth. Initially, I thought the album was entirely made up of romantic love songs – not that there’s anything wrong with that – but on further listens I found that the album, in a few tracks, deals with much more relevant and complicated issues. The hook in ‘Forever’ can deceive the listener into believing it is a simple love song, but the overall lyrical content points to something more political. For example, the lyric ‘your skin is light, my skin is dark, that does not change the shape of our hearts’ is a plea for egalitarianism in a time of rampant secularism or straight-up racism. Baby Queens seem ready to shake off their ‘girl group’ stereotype by producing lyrical content that is relevant and political. In a time of Brexit, alt-right and all that other nonsense, it’s good to have a group pushing for people to view each other on more human terms. The vibe of the whole track, too, is suited to the times. It is as utopianistic as it is sombre, in a way. The lyrics contrast sharply with the sombreness embedded in the vocals. Essentially, the track’s contrasts and tonal hypocrisy mirrors contemporary life; the track realises it is a time where relentless positivity is needed, but where the facts of modern life distils this down into sombre well-wishing.
Overall, Baby Queens was a real surprise packed to the brim with personality and risky production choices. It is out now on Strangetown Records– go check it out, you won’t be disappointed (and if you are then I’m prepared for some comment section shadowboxing).
Baby Queens is out now on Strangetown Records. Find out more:
We accidentally went to four Christmas craft fairs yesterday, so here are some lovely, local independent artists and businesses where you can find super special Christmas pressies this year. We’ll keep adding to this post as we find new stuff! Leave us a comment if you have an idea!
Claire Hill jewellery – a favourite of ours. Claire makes beautiful, lightweight jewellery in her studio in Canton and sells it for incredibly reasonable prices!
The Power of Greyskull – another one of our faves. Quality Cardiff-made leggings that DON’T FALL DOWN, even during aerial circus acts (certified by us).
Emily England designs – papercut prints, cute cards and beautiful books- the wonderful Emily has got you covered.
Penylan Pantry’s Christmas hampers – whether your weakness is cheese, chocolate, coffee or quite simply, damn good food, the Pantry girls have it covered in the different ranges available.
Fancy visiting Cardiff’s first ever ethical night market?
Picture the scene – in the build-up to the festive season the magic and excitement of Christmas quickly disappearing as you navigate through crowded department stores with terrible Christmas music played over tinny shop speakers and the worry that the products you’re lovingly picking out have been made in less-than-ethical conditions.
What Christmas shopping really needs is a stress-free cosy atmosphere, ethical local brands (and maybe a glass or two of mulled wine).
This December will see Cardiff’s first ever Ethical Cardiff Night Market, and it’s going to be a Christmas special!
This alternative market – organised by environmentally friendly letting agent Green Valley Moves – will be popping up in Cardiff Speaker Hire on Dumballs Road on Saturday 10th December. It will include stalls filled with eco-friendly products, delicious veggie and vegan food and lovingly handmade crafts.
All of the vendors have a passion for sustainability and are providing products that are good for people and the planet. The stallholders include independent coffee and vinyl venture Outpost, natural male grooming product makers Old Faithful and vegan-friendly coffee and juice experts The Moos.
There is more than just stalls, however, as the night will also include a bar, live music (championing local female musicians) and a pottery workshop by Cardiff Pottery Workshops.
The event was created by Green Valley Moves founder, Cat Woods, to provide people with a more relaxed shopping experience.
“I’m prone to anxiety” Cat explains, “and Christmas shopping, with all the crowds, is something that puts a strain on me. So when I decided to organise the Ethical Cardiff Night Market I had mental health in the front of my mind.”
Cat Woods of Green Valley Moves
Cat reached out to other people who find Christmas shopping nerve-wracking to see what she could do to help. The whole event has been designed with these suggestions, meaning the market will have calming acoustic music and staggered entry so that it doesn’t get overcrowded.
There will still be a strong sense of festive magic, however, as Cat continues: “We have lots of things planned – including a snow machine!”.
Green Valley Moves is an ethical Landlord/Letting Agent, based in Cardiff, with a passion for sustainability and the environment. They provide sustainable lettings services for landlords and help tenants save money by giving them the knowledge and inspiration to live healthier, greener lives.
Founded by Cat Woods, Green Valley Move’s profits create and support local community eco projects.
The Ethical Cardiff Night Market was created to champion ethical and eco-friendly producers in Cardiff and South Wales, as well as provide a low-stress shopping alternative for those who find Christmas shopping anxiety inducing.
Who said there’s no such thing as a free lunch?? Roath-based good food institution Milgi are opening a new branch in Cardiff Indoor Market, and to celebrate they are giving away 50 free lunches on Thursday 1st December from 11am – first come, first served!
The MILGI MARKET menu will consist of seasonally inspired – wholefood bowls, one pots, sushi wraps, hot and cold elixirs and conscientious sweet treats – you’ll even be able to add extra superfoods.
You will also be able to pick up everyday essentials, dry store goods and Christmas stocking fillers to kickstart your plant based living at home. Bespoke small batch food and lifestyle products will be coming in the new year.
Gabrielle Kelly Milgi Market owner says: “Our ambition is to become the go-to option for anyone looking for a quick bite in the city centre. We’ll be serving a range of delicious seasonal and natural fast food all lovingly made at the kiosk. We’re all about making everyday delicious, wholesome food that makes you feel great inside and out.”
So we’re a bit late with this, but the awesome PROJECT SHOEBOX is BACK! Too much stuff in your bathroom cabinet? Project Shoebox is collecting shoeboxes filled with unwanted toiletries to make gift boxes for women in refuges in Cardiff and the South Wales area.
This is a community project, co-ordinated by the awesome Mali Taylor-Powell. The idea is women organising themselves to help women on their own doorsteps. Of course boys can join in too 🙂 It’s an attempt to help the women who arrive at Women’s Refuges this Christmas. Many will arrive bruised, battered and with nothing more than the clothes they are standing in.
The first donations are in! Here’s Mali with the first donations!
Project Shoebox collects together unwanted toiletries like shampoo, body lotion, toothpaste and brushes into shoeboxes, and makes them into a gift to get these women started and remind them that people can and do care.
WHAT CAN YOU SEND?
Anything from your bathroom cabinet that’s new or unused. Think basics like toothbrushes, shower gel, shampoo – but also anything nice like cosmetics or face cream is very welcome. This year we will only be accepting unused or new items. There’s a big list of ideas for inspiration further down!
HOW DO YOU GET YOUR DONATION TO PROJECT SHOEBOX?
We will be manning a donation station at the Cardiff University Students’ Union on Park Place, on the 4th floor Room 4E, from the 25th November – Saturday 3rd December.
Opening hours are: 5pm-7.30pm, Monday-Friday and also from 10am-4pm Saturday & Sunday
Please note: This is a voluntary project and I’m afraid there will be nobody to receive your donation outside of these hours**
The address is:
4th floor Room 4E, Cardiff University Students’ Union, Park Place, Cardiff CF10 3QN – again, please please come to donate within the above hours! 🙂
LAST DAY FOR DONATIONS?
Saturday 3rd December so we can sort, box and deliver in time for Christmas.
IDEAS!
You can choose to donate individual items or make your very own shoebox gift. Feel free to get creative but here are some ideas:
*New toothbrushes
*Toothpaste
*Shower Gel
*Flannels/sponges
*Facial wipes
*Deodorants
*Hairbrushes/combs/bobbles/clips & grips
*Sanitary products (sealed)
*Sample packets
*Moisturisers
*Perfumes
*Body Creams/Face creams
*Body scrub
*Make up/ Make up bags
*Nail polishes / Nail polish remover/ Files & Clippers
*Cotton wool
*Hairspray
You can also choose to make, or donate things for, a baby box with things such as nappies, baby wipes, cotton buds, baby wash, small soft toys, etc.
Also – if you wrap the shoeboxes (fab!) please wrap the lid and base separately so that the box can be opened easily.
Happy shoebox making!
Big thanks to you from the Project Shoebox Crew and us here at We Are Cardiff
x
For those of you wanting to support local businesses during the Chrimbo period, we sent Benjamin Newman out into the cold to research all the best Christmas Fairs! Local shopping, local makers, mulled wines … celebrate the festive season!
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It’s a bit cold, isn’t it? The nights are drawing in, school children are waddling around in about 72 layers of clothing, the air is colder than Theresa May’s soul, and Christmas decorations have gone up far too early – yep, it’s Winter, and that means one thing: IT’S CHRISTMAAAAAAAAAS.
Ah…nothing like Christmas to distract you for long enough to (almost) nullify the sense of impending existential doom, is there?
Here’s a few markets and fun things you can get on with in Cardiff this festive season (if you haven’t frozen to death on your commute to work yet, that is). There’s lots on offer again in this wonderful city from vegan markets to Etsy-inspired stalls, so get stuck in!
Thursday 10 November – 23 December: Cardiff Christmas Market
The Cardiff Christmas Market has returned to brighten up Woking Street for a month and a half again (and increase the number of people walking down the street tenfold, sadly). However, it is still as varied and exciting as ever. The Market will ultimately become the main destination for original gifts in the city centre (do check out other areas of Cardiff for your shopping, mind). There’s a diverse range of high quality products with over 180 individual businesses taking part this year such as pewter work, heritage images of Wales and Welsh slate products, metalwork, photography, hand built and thrown pottery, silver and precious stone jewellery, original textiles, traditional wooden items and toys, original art works and cards for all occasions, handmade candles, specialist knotting, up-cycled china wear and re-cycled textiles, glasswork, and needlework together with many original decorative items for the house and garden. It’s got a lovely Crimbo vibe to it, too.
Friday 25 November, 5:30-9PM: Penarth’s Handmade Market Christmas Special
Penarth’s Handmade Market returns on Friday 25 November 2016 for a special Christmas themed shopping evening featuring 40 of Wales’ most exciting makers and food producers.
Grab your friends after work and join us for a shop and a drink. We will have loads of fantastic gift ideas, decorations, cards and food for the coming festive season.
Avoid Black Friday madness and support local business. You know it makes sense!
Winner of ‘Best Vintage Fair’ at the last 3 national awards, Lou Lou’s returns to Cardiff’s City Hall with a fab vintage fair.
Find 40 stalls of vintage fashion, homeware and collectables nestled in this stunning location. Relax in a gorgeous tea room, watch a live performance and even get pampered in the vintage beauty salon!
TEA PARTY
The lovely ladies from LILS PARLOUR will be putting on a great spread of cakes and bakes fresh from their kitsch kitchen. Teas and cakes are served up on vintage china in the cute pop up tearoom. Don’t miss the delicious lemon drizzle!
HAIR AND BEAUTY SALON
For the perfect victory rolls, glamorous pin curls or sky-scraping beehives, make an appointment in our hair and beauty salon provided by POP UP PARLOUR. Appointments can be made in advance via email: popupparlour@hotmail.com
LIVE ENTERTAINMENT
The lovely ladies from GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES will be entertaining us with their close harmony singing!
Get into the festive spirit with a Christmas food and drink festival on the first weekend of December. Chapter’s beer garden will be enveloped in a cosy marquee, serving festive beers, German sausages and other delicious nibbles. The perfect place to catch up with friends, exchange gifts and toast the season before December gets too busy!
Ewch i hwyl yr ŵyl gyda’n gŵyl o fwyd a diod Nadoligaidd ar benwythnos cyntaf mis Rhagfyr. Bydd ein gardd gwrw yn cael ei gorchuddio â phabell fawr glyd, a bydd yn gweini cwrw Nadoligaidd, selsig Almaenaidd a danteithion blasus eraill. Y lle perffaith i weld ffrindiau, i gyfnewid anrhegion ac i yfed llwnc destun tymhorol cyn i fis Rhagfyr fynd yn rhy brysur o’r hanner!
Seasons hosting their first Christmas market that will give customers a chance to shop from different stalls on the night from different businesses.
There will be a charity raffle, along with mulled wine, mulled cider, mince pies, singing & much more (it seems like it’s going to get pretty lit, to be honest).
Tickets are ONLY £5 per adult & £2 per child with a Christmas drink and snack included in the ticket price! Please do attend as proceeds from the event will be going to Welsh Women’s Aid.
Saturday 3 December, 4PM-6:30PM: Rhiwbina Christmas Festival 2016
RVE are rolling up their sleeves and have begun planning Festival 2016. Expect various stalls, food, fun and (hopefully) not rain (it’s become a bit of a tradition at the festival, it seems).
ANYONE WANTING TO APPLY TO HAVE A STALL at the Christmas festival should email eleanor.sanders@cardiff.gov.uk, although it may be a little late now.
Sunday 4 December, 11AM-5PM: Ab Fab Winter Wonderland Vegan Christmas Festival
A vegan food festival containing lots of excellent stalls including the renowned ‘Cheese and Chocolate’ and ‘Cardiff Vegan Pizza Co’. Make this Christmas special for the animals & for ourselves – Come down to Depot in Cardiff for a day filled with wonderful cruelty-free food, health & beauty products, gifts and animal rescue charities!
£1 admission for adults and FREE for children.
Cannot recommend this festival and the lovely organiser Sue Thomas enough – please be sure to check this place out.
Sunday 4 December, 11AM-7PM: Cardiff and Valleys Etsy Made Local 2016
If you’ve ever gone on Etsy, you know it’s a labyrinth of amazing clothes, crafts and jewellery. However, the Etsy Made Local market is bringing all these fun things directly to you via a market stall! A fun-filled day of shopping, workshops and performances. For one day only Cardiff and Valleys Etsy Sellers are taking over Tramshed, lots of wonderful local sellers will be there, as well as a host of workshops and performances throughout the day. Watch this space and check out our website for more details www.cavetsy.co.uk
An exclusive workshop at the CAVETSY Christmas extravaganza at the Tramshed. Join Green City to kick start a crafty Christmas! They’ll show you how to create beautiful, festive gifts and decorations from things that you might usually throw away. From upcycled Christmas tree decorations & garlands to wrapping paper, jewellery and lots more, you’ll take home plenty of crafty ideas & makes.
All materials provided, but you may need to bring along a few bits from home if you have them.
This workshop will take place in the upstairs bar at the Tramshed during the Cardiff and Valleys Etsy Made Local 2016. Why not make a day of it and enjoy browsing 50 stalls of local makers as well as live music, performances and workshops?
This workshop is suitable for ages 12+. Children aged 16 or under must be accompanied by an adult.
A cosy, alternative Cardiff Christmas shopping/eating/drinking experience with a chilled atmosphere and a diverse range of ethical local brands. There will be nature based products, veggie food, vegan food and treats, Christmas gifts that are good for the planet, handmade crafts, mulled wines, vegan friendly skincare for men and women, yoga pop up, vegan shop, live background music, a bar and more.
Saturday 10 December – Sunday 11 December – Snapped Up Market – A Dickensian Christmas
The Print Haus is one of our all time favourite places, so we can’t wait for their Christmas market! Snapped Up Market returns this December bigger and better than ever!! This time round they’ll be open for not one but TWO DAYS!!! That’s right folks, all the fun and merriment but spread over an entire weekend!
They’ll have all your favourites that you can expect from their markets, with ‘Print your own’ workshops/ open studios/ stalls from some rather fabulous artists, makers and craft people and of course resident pizza kings Dusty Knuckle will take care of your taste bud needs.
The best place to grab some amazing unique Christmas gifts and enjoy in some festive fun!
Chapter and Green City are doing it again and showcasing the best local Welsh produce!
Stock up on Christmas treats, stocking fillers, gorgeous chocs, tasty cheese, delicious meats and something special from the Caffi Bar.
For one day only!
Discover our Green Grotto, hosted by Green City. Join us for:
– Christmas craft workshops
– upcycled Christmas crafts
– and lots of family friendly fun!
… aaaaaaand that’s a wrap. Be sure to check out as many of these as you can, it’s always a great help to the city to help local businesses and – for all of our sakes – avoid the madness that is Black Friday and get to supporting your city’s local businesses!
Oh, and Merry Christmas. 2016 has been a weird one, right?
Get your Christmas cabaret on! A collective of international circus and cabaret artists famous for their thrilling, immersive performances is coming to the DEPOT warehouse at the end of this month.
On the 29 / 30 November and 1 December, guests are invited to dress in their craziest Christmas clobber and head to the DEPOT for an evening of wintery cabaret, circus tricks and ‘dodgy Santa comedy’ – courtesy of Mary Bijou Cabaret and Social Club’s ‘Fairy Tale Christmas’!
Having previously performed sell out shows at the Wales Millennium Centre, Edinburgh festival and around the country, The Mary Bijou Cabaret & Social Club are critically acclaimed for their immersive and intimate performances which are driven by playfulness and good fun.
Tickets for the Mary Bijou Fairy Tale Christmas are priced at £15 and available from depot.eventcube.io/events. Fancy dress is warmly encouraged!
For more info see DEPOT’s social media pages, or search @themarybijou
Holy cheeseboard Batman … Penylan Pantry – the award-winning Cardiff delicatessen will be opening a sister location in Cardiff Indoor Market this Saturday. The Cheese Pantry is an exciting new specialist cheese stall in Cardiff Central Market, and I can’t wait to eat my entire daily calorie allowance from it.
The Cheese Pantry will offer the largest selection of exceptional British cheeses in South Wales, a bench for lunchtime cheese board customers and a selection of chutneys, crackers and gifts for sale – this will surely become Cardiff’s go-to spot for lovers of all things cheese.
Melissa Boothman, who along with business partner Jolene runs Cardiff deli/cafe Penylan Pantry, is delighted to be setting up shop in the market.
“We are so proud to be here inside such a beautiful historic building that has been at the heart of the city’s food trade for over 120 years and with such a strong sense of community.”
Penylan Pantry was opened in December 2013 by Mel and Jo, wanting to create a place to showcase all the fantastic produce from Wales and the rest of Britain. Their ethos is all about sustainability: low food miles, supporting local producers and therefore the local economy and aiming to maintain a 95 per cent level of recyclable waste.
Penylan Pantry in Penylan, Cardiff
As a result of their hard work since opening, Penylan Pantry has won a Cardiff Life award for Best Cafe, and been Runner-Up three years in a row in the Observer Food Awards in Wales for Best Ethical Retailer, Best Cheap Eats and Best Independent Retailer.
When asked why she wanted to open a specialist cheese stall in Cardiff, Mel said:
“We are nuts about cheese! The smells, flavours, textures, characteristics, the rich history and varied stories that lie behind each one… did you know there are over 700 cheeses made in Britain?! Each one has its own tale to tell and we’d like to share some of those with you and showcase the absolute best of British cheese.”
Cheese fans Melissa and Jolene are joined by cheese expert Owen, who has 14 years’ experience in the artisan cheese market as a buyer for the catering industry, sourcing the best British cheeses directly from the makers and farmers. If those credentials weren’t enough, he has also been a judge at The World and British Cheese Awards. Sounds like a cheese lover’s dream! Safe to say, Owen is a man who knows his Cornish Yarg from his Dorstone and he’ll be the head cheese monger at Cheese Pantry, imparting his knowledge and expertise to all staff. Unsurprisingly, Owen is also excited about the stall opening:
“We want to give Cardiff the very best cheese counter and this understanding of the cheese we sell will absolutely set us apart from any of the supermarkets. Working with the girls from Penylan Pantry is a perfect match, combining their passion for exceptional food, supporting British producers and their love of great cheese.”
“Their passion for cheese shines through and their know-how will be shared with you when you buy, showing customers how to cut, care for, wrap and present each cheese, including many cheeses which cannot be found anywhere else in Cardiff. What better time to head down to the market and pick up some fantastic cheese and top tips on creating the perfect festive cheese board.”
See you guys at Cardiff Indoor Market on Saturday 26 November for the opening, yeah??
In this week’s person to person, we sit down for a chat with Meryl Cubley, Cardiff-based journalist and writer.
Cardiff is my home – despite not being born here. I’m originally from a very small village located on the Staffordshire Moorlands (very Heathcliffe) but I spent much of my childhood growing up on the coast of west Wales.
You could say that that particular part of the Welsh coastline is intrinsic to who I am – it certainly makes up a good 70 per cent of my childhood memories. It was a very special time for me and the friends who I grew up alongside in west Wales: mainly Welsh, though two or three of us were English. These were dark political times – significant tension existed between the local Welsh and the English interlopers who had holiday homes – but never used them: basically pricing locals out of their own areas of birth because they could no longer afford the house prices.
It was also a time of miners strikes, huge unemployment and a change in the cultural landscape of Britain that we have never recovered from. Yet despite these difficult times, tucked away in a tiny part of the world seven coves long, we enjoyed a halcyon childhood that many will never experience. I know that I feel incredibly lucky to have such amazing and special memories of that west Wales coast; and whenever I go back now, I immediately feel all the stresses and strains of everyday life disappear as soon as I smell the sea air, or look at the different play of light there, or look up to see a canopy full of stars. It is a very special place – and I simply wouldn’t have those memories if it weren’t for Cymru – the people and the place.
Being a country girl at heart brought up pretty much on horseback; I knew I’d have to move to ‘the big smoke’ if I wanted to live the exciting kind of life I dreamed of and read about in the countless novels and biographies I often had my head stuck in. So I left home at a very young age; and over the years lived in London, Manchester and Bristol among others; and leaned my street smarts the hard way. Each city had its charms, its time ‘on the map’. There’s no question that they have influenced my passion and love of arts and culture, music and society. There were incredible music scenes, new political ideas, a change in style, culture and fashion: we’re talking about in particular the scenes in Manchester and Bristol here – London always seemed like a rat trap to me.
But Cardiff had me hooked from the start. I was living in Australia, pretending to be a surfer chick, on a gap year before they were called a gap year; after a particularly nasty accident left me in a wheelchair for eight months. I got a phone call from my Mum at home in west Wales, to say I’d had an unconditional offer from Cardiff’s School of Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies – one of the top rated institutions in the UK for media training. I think it’s significant to note that I was seriously considering studying in Sydney at the time – but I knew immediately that I wanted to study and live in Cardiff.
After three years of hard graft and like many students, I decided to stay and work in Cardiff after I had graduated. I’ve worked for all of the Welsh media institutions at one time and another – and learned a lot – and had a lot of fun doing so.
When I did leave in 2003, to edit a graffiti publication in Bristol; I honestly didn’t think I’d be back – but lo and behold – nine years ago I did come back to live and work in Cardiff once more. It seems I just can’t stay away!
Since coming back I love the range of things on offer here. If I had friends visiting for the weekend, this would be our weekend itinerary:
Friday night – local drinks – which ranges from the Albany pub to Milgi to all the choices on Wellfield Road.
Saturday – brunch at Porro or Cameo – or one of the greasy spoon cafes if it was a really good night! Then follow that by a walk around Roath Park Lake or Bute Park. In the summer it’s great fun hopping on the little boat docked near the Bute Park entrance; and zipping down to Cardiff Bay. A walk across the barrage to Penarth is a must, blows away the night before, feels like a million miles away – and is an awesome spot for collecting marine fossils. Grab the train back to Cardiff, have a brief siesta; then the fun starts all over again! Dinner at Il Pastifico, Potted Pig or Cafe Citta, followed by cocktails at Dead Canary; and dancing over at Gwdihw. Then on to an after party wherever that happens to be …
Sunday involves, bed, cat, papers and ordering in!
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Meryl Cubley is an Editor, Journalist and Writing Consultant. You can see more of her work at merylcubley.com or follow her @merylcubley. She currently lives in Roath.
Meryl was photographed by Lorna Cabble at Cameo Club on Wellfield Road.
You guys! BFI and Film Hub Wales have collaborated on a season called BLACK STAR. It’s the UK’s biggest ever celebration of black screen actors. In Wales, the focus is on a film called The Proud Valley (1940) which was filmed in Rhondda Valley coalfields and it starred American actor and civil rights activist Paul Robeson.
The tour celebrates American actor, bass singer and Civil Rights activist Paul Robeson and the film, The Proud Valley, which was filmed on location in the Rhondda Valley coalfields.
The film tells the story of David Goliath, played by Robeson, who has sailed to Cardiff to find work. On discovering his voice, he joins the local male voice choir, finds work with the Blaendy miners and is is adopted by the community. It was extremely rare for a black character to be presented as kind, generous and good natured in the 1930s and 1940s, when cinema audiences were used to seeing Stepin Fetchit playing the fool in American comedies.The film enabled Robeson to express his socialist beliefs and portray the struggles of Wales’ working class.
The screenings launch with newly remastered material at Chapter Cardiff, on Sunday 13 November and will be accompanied by a performance from Treorchy Male Choir. The screening will be followed by a panel discussion, exploring Robeson’s impact on Welsh life, politics, and BAME communities.
We don’t usually promote businesses on We Are Cardiff. But Mark (aka @oddjobscardiff) is our exception.
Mark pitches himself as an ‘honest man for hire’, and both of us at We Are Cardiff have been super impressed with him and his work. In a Facebook post, he describes his frustration at seeing people being ripped off for odd jobs, and vowed to provide a better service to the people of Cardiff:
He provides window cleaning, gardening, gutter cleaning, hedge trimming, airport pickups, power washing, house painting, home security… basically anything!
Mark’s unique business operates on a pay what you want policy – ie. you give him whatever you feel is appropriate. He doesn’t quote for jobs, and he’s really honest about payment. He spent 4 hours clearing my garden and trimming a huge hedge – when I tried to pay him he gave me half of the money back ‘because it was too much’!
Alongside his great attitude to business, he’s reliable, punctual, fast, clean, works in any weather, very scrupulous and thorough in his work. Check out his Twitter account for examples of great before and after photos.
If you want to hire Mark, get in touch with him on Twitter or phone him on 07801 432 863 – you won’t be disappointed!
We Are Cardiff 