Celebrating Wales’ national day in the heart of London
Paddington Station travellers are in for a real treat this St David’s Day, Wednesday 1st March, when Welsh food and drink companies will be offering up tastings of their fabulous produce. Artisan meats, scrumptious brownies and snacking seaweed will be among the various offerings to raise travellers’ spirits as they embark on their daily commute.
The celebrations would not be complete without some rousing renditions and a Welsh choir will accompany the feast, ensuring the day gets off to a musical start.
#ThisisWales
The event is part of the Welsh Government’s #ThisisWales campaign, organised in partnership with Network Rail Great Western Rail (GWR), which aims to reveal a world of incredible tastes, top quality ingredients, and beautifully designed packaging - giving Welsh food and drink the recognition it deserves.
Welsh Government Cabinet Secretary for the Environment and Rural Affairs, Lesley Griffiths said,
“It is great to see our food and drink producers promoting Wales and the abundance of quality food that we have here in Wales. It is a vitally important sector for the Welsh economy and working with GWR has allowed us the opportunity for Welsh food and drink to take centre stage on our national day of celebration.”
Commenting on the partnership Steve Wright, Customer Proposition at GWR,
“We’re thrilled to be supporting #ThisIsWales and helping to showcase some of the best produce the region has to offer. We are both committed to supporting the communities that we serve, and that is why we stock as much local produce in our buffet cars and on our Pullman Dining services as we are able. What better way to enjoy the view from the train than to eat expertly prepared food, produced from the very landscape you travel through.
Last October we launched The Welshman, one of 59 daily train services between Cardiff and London Paddington, to mark the re-opening of the Severn Tunnel, and the value that rail plays to the local economy."
Award winning food
For those who think that Welsh food and drink is about Welsh cakes and cawl then think again. On show will be an award winning charcutier with tastings of his home cured meats, gooey hand made brownies from the Gower peninsula and healthy seaweed and laverbread snacks – if you’ve never tried them this is your chance. Take them to work to share with colleagues or pick up on the way home to enjoy with family and friends.
One producer looking forward to making her way to Paddington Station, London for St David’s Day is Kate Jenkins from Gower Cottage Brownies,
“What better platform to showcase the array of Welsh food that is on offer than on St David’s Day in the UK’s capital. I am delighted to be involved with the #ThisisWales activities, as it enables me and the other Welsh producers to promote our products and promote Wales and the excellent provenance of our products.”
If you cannot make it to Paddington Station don’t worry as Welsh producers will be displaying their wares across London in some of the capital’s most prestigious retail stores from John Lewis, Oxford Street, Partridges, Sloane Square and Waitrose, Canary Wharf from late February until 1 March.
St David, the patron Saint of Wales, is celebrated all over the World on the 1st of March and is an important part of the heritage of Wales, as is food and drink, which is one of Wales’s premier treasures. Do not miss out on these St David’s Day celebrations and enjoy in the best quality offerings from across the border.