To celebrate the Welsh saint of lovers, on Saturday 25 January, Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales (HCC) and Menter Moch Cymru are offering couples from across Wales the chance to enjoy St Dwynwen’s Day together with a free three-course meal that brings the very best produce to the table.
The one-night-only event at Pitch Cardiff, a restaurant that prides itself on honest Welsh food, will see every course on the menu – including the dessert – feature porc!
Run under the Porc Blasus brand, the pop-up coincides with the second annual Porc From Wales Week, which is running from 20-26 January 2020, aiming to raise the profile of porc from Wales; showcasing its quality while championing local porc suppliers.
“Some consumers are still unaware of the fantastic work being done by Welsh farmers to ensure Wales produces some of the tastiest and highest quality pork available” says Kirstie Jones, Market Development Officer at HCC.
“What we do here in Wales is special – and it shows in the quality of the meat; our pork is reared in smaller herds and reared for longer, boasting bigger flavour.”
The climate and landscape in Wales provide the ideal, natural setting to produce quality porc and Porc Blasus, which works continuously to support the industry sees this as the perfect opportunity to showcase the wealth of options available to consumers.
Kirstie adds:
“Porc is also very versatile and so we’ve been keen to ensure it’s on offer in every course at our event incorporates some of the tastiest and highest quality meat available.
“We’ll kick-off with a starter of porc, pistachio and mango pâté, before a delicious super slow roasted porc belly with crispy crackling main – and then round off the evening off with maple bacon brownies.”
Melanie Cargill of Menter Moch Cymru, a Welsh Government-funded initiative to develop the pig sector in Wales, says:
“There is a huge demand for pork in Wales, so celebrating the unique work that Wales’s farmers and suppliers carry out on our doorstep during occasions like Porc From Wales Week, is key to raising awareness.
“We strive to make porc from Wales the go-to choice as Wales produces some of the tastiest and highest quality porc available – and the menu on offer for visitors to Porc Blasus’s pop-up restaurant at Pitch Cardiff just goes to prove the innovative approaches being undertaken to ensure the meat can be enjoyed in a variety of ways.”
The Menter Moch Cymru project is funded by the Welsh Government Rural Communities – Rural Development Programme 2014 -2020, which is funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the Welsh Government.
As part of this year’s Porc From Wales Week, some guests attending the restaurant also had the opportunity to visit a farm beforehand, to experience first-hand the farming process and techniques that make porc from Wales a sustainable ‘farm to fork’ product.
Kirstie concludes:
“Our traditional farmers have shorter supply chains, which means those who choose to purchase, eat and enjoy porc from Wales aren’t only supporting a local business, but also contributing to a more sustainable farming environment.”
Members of the public have until Sunday 19 January for the chance to win a table for themselves and their St Dwynwen’s Day date by entering the competition on the Porc Blasus Facebook page.
You’ll also be able to keep up-to-date with all things Porc From Wales Week via the official Twitter and Instagram accounts, using #PorcWeek and #WythnosPorc to show your support.
