Cardiff/Wales

Cardiff Indoor Market

I’m lucky enough to work right in the centre of Cardiff, so during my lunch hour on most days, I’ll go for a wander around Cardiff indoor market. It’s been there since the 1800’s and some of the stallholders have been there just as long. There are fishmongers, greengrocers, butchers, and an artisan cheesemonger – all stocking local Welsh produce. There are also some more exotic stalls; Clancy’s is great for herbs and spices, and the Mediterranean Food stall is great for stuffed olives, vine leaves etc.

St Mary St, CF10 1AU

Riverside Market

Each weekend, the Riverside Market takes place at Mackintosh Place in Roath on Saturday mornings and then moves to the embankment opposite the Principality Stadium on Sunday mornings. There are always some great stallholders there – from Charcutier LTD who sell their artisan, award-winning cured meats, to Paul’s Organic Veg who sell, you guessed it – organic vegetables!

Fitzhamon Embankment, CF11 6AN

Pettigrew Bakery

Just a stone’s throw from my house I am lucky to have Pettigrew Bakery, so if we run out of bread or eggs during the week, we pop over there (and usually end up taking one of their outrageously chocolatey brownies off their hands too). They also sell local honey made from the bees in Cardiff’s city-centre Bute Park.

Cowbridge Rd, CF5 1BE

Penrhiw Farm

For fresh meat and poultry, I am a big fan of Penrhiw Farm who specialise in organic beef as well as Welsh mountain lamb and mutton; you can find them trading at the Riverside Farmers’ Markets most weekends. If you are looking for sausages and bacon, for me you can’t beat Charcutier Ltd, who also trades there.

Trelewis, CF46 6TA

Canna Deli

If you can’t make it to the market on the weekend, there’s a refrigerated vending machine inside The Castle Emporium in the city centre which sells lots of Charcutier Ltd’s products, as well as organic Welsh butter and cheese from other small producers. Failing that, you can pick up Charcutier Ltd’s bacon and sausages - along with a variety of artisan Welsh cheeses - from Canna Deli, a small deli and coffee shop found in the affluent suburb of Pontcanna.

King’s Rd, CF11 9DF

Martin Player Butchers

Another great option for high quality and ethically sourced meats is Martin Player Butchers in Whitchurch. Martin himself has earned a reputation for supplying the finest Welsh and British free-range meat to the Cardiff area and beyond, sourcing meat only from butchers and farmers who really care how their animals are raised. What’s more, 90% of all meat sold at his shop comes from within Wales.

Park Rd, CF14 7BQ

E. Ashton Fishmongers Ltd

E. Ashton the fishmonger in Cardiff Market stocks every kind of seafood you can imagine, and it’s a place which holds lots of fond food memories for me. I remember walking through the market with my nana as a child and holding my nose to avoid the smell of fresh fish - which I now love! When I was at University I remember my housemates and I once bought a huge batch of langoustines from the market and cooked them in tomato and garlic – we thought we were so sophisticated!

Central Market, CF10 1AU

Fish at 85

Fish at 85 is a restaurant and fishmonger in Pontcanna, and they pride themselves on being able to tell you where and when their fish was caught, and being a restaurant, how to cook it, too. Whether you’re eating in or buying something to take away and cook at home, you pick the fish straight from the ice-counter, so you can get a good look at what you’re buying and ask any questions you might need to.

Pontcanna St, CF11 9HS

Penylan Pantry

Another option is the Penylan Pantry - a café-come-deli based on the corner of a residential street in a leafy suburb. They always have a good selection of locally sourced organic fruit and vegetables on offer alongside their artisan cheeses, dried produce and homemade cakes and savouries. It’s a great place to stop for a coffee and a chat, too.

Kimberly Rd, CF23 5DN

Laura’s

There are a couple of great greengrocers on Cowbridge Road in Canton. Laura’s is the long-established open-fronted shop which most people think of first – they have been selling fruit, vegetables and flowers in the same location for more than 20 years.

Cowbridge Rd E, CF11 9ND

Canton Fruit Market

Further up Cowbridge Road on the corner of Pen Y Peel Road lies Canton Fruit Market. It’s a little rough around the edges and the fruit and veg on offer is usually almost over-ripe, but it’s an excellent place to pick up tomatoes, avocados, bananas and the like if you’re planning on cooking with them the very same day. The prices reflect that the produce won’t last long, so I love to stock up there and make sauces, soups and curries using what I have bought and freeze them for a later date.

Cowbridge Rd, CF5 1GY

Riverside Real Food

Riverside Real Food are the people behind the most popular farmers’ markets in Cardiff. They started as Riverside Market in 1998 and now their weekly events take place at Mackintosh Place in Roath every Saturday morning. On Sunday, the market moves to the embankment opposite the Principality Stadium and on Friday lunchtimes they even bring the market to the beer garden of the Butchers Arms pub in Rhiwbina.

The Riverside Markets are recognised as one of the key food attractions in the Welsh capital for residents and visitors alike and is a showcase for some of the best food producers in Wales. There is always a good mixture of traders on site every weekend; some selling produce to take away, and others selling hot food and drinks to be consumed on the spot. On a clear morning, it’s a great option for an al fresco breakfast or brunch.

Fitzhamon Embankment,CF11 6AN

Dusty Knuckle

My favourite casual restaurant in Cardiff has got to be Dusty Knuckle. Dusty Knuckle was founded when foodie entrepreneur Phill Lewis quit his 9-5, built a pizza oven, and began trading at events and in beer gardens at a few local pubs. Since then the business has snowballed, they have a permanent semi-outdoor restaurant in Canton and The Times has even called them one of the best Pizzerias in the UK.

This success is well deserved – the Dusty Knuckle team really care about the way they cook, and the way they source their ingredients. They have their own veg patch and herb garden on site at the restaurant, they stock biodynamic wines and locally brewed craft beers, and they use upcycled materials to build their furniture and fixings. So passionate are they about ‘real food’, that Phill even undertook a fundraising pilgrimage to Naples to raise money for the global Slow Food movement which advocates organic farming, and traditional growing and production methods which preserve biodiversity.

My favourite dish on the Dusty Knuckle menu has to be their signature ‘Blas Y Mor’ pizza; a fusion of the Welsh and Italian on a sourdough base. The pizza comes topped with San Marzano tomato, Fior di Latte soft cheese, Charcutier Ltd bacon lardons, Penclawdd cockles, laverbread and samphire. Sounds weird, tastes incredible!

Llandaff Rd, CF11 9NL

Roath Brewery

My favourite microbrewery in Cardiff has to be Roath Brewery - they bring the city’s rich history to life through their range of German-inspired beers, with every brew telling a story and each label looking like a little work of art. They are especially close to my heart as I lived in the middle of Roath until I was 13 years old.

Pipes Brewery

Pipes Brewery brew one-hundred-percent natural, handcrafted ales & lagers in their tiny brewery at the end of an alleyway in Pontcanna. Because their beers are additive and preservative free, they are also always suitable for vegans. Last year, they created a beer using 100% foraged and donated hops from the local area, and they also make an espresso porter from the waste grinds from the nearby Lufkin Coffee Shop.

Kings Rd, CF11 9DF

Crafty Devil

Another microbrewery worth mentioning is Crafty Devil, who recently installed a canning line, allowing them to cut down their carbon footprint and package their beers for retail when they are at their freshest. They also often team up with restaurants and chefs within the city to brew seasonal or guest ales.

Llandaff Rd, CF11 9NJ

Lufkin Coffee

My favourites include Lufkin Coffee in Pontcanna, who have a small coffee shop situated down a little alley right next to the Pipes Microbrewery. Their speciality is the pour-over brewing method that the owners picked up in California (where they’re originally from). Their leftover coffee grinds are used to create the Pipes Brewery espresso porter - a great way of reducing their waste output. Lufkin roast their beans on-site too and even sell 250g bags for people to take away and enjoy at home.

Lufkin Coffee, Kings Rd, CF11 9DF

Brodie’s Coffee Cabin

Another favourite of mine is Brodie’s Coffee Cabin in Gorsedd Gardens in the city centre. This tiny little cabin used to be a gardener’s hut and has now been transformed into the city’s smallest coffee shop, with plenty of wooden picnic seating overlooking the park. They use Coaltown Coffee in their drinks, a multi-award winning, small-batch speciality, coffee roasters from Ammanford South West Wales. They focus on sustainable and transparent trade with small farms from across the coffee belt and aim to uphold quality at every stage of production. Brodie’s also provide biodegradable takeaway coffee cups for those drinking on the go, something I think is really important.

Gorsedd Gardens, CF10 3NP

Cawl

This is the national dish of Wales and is delicious, just the thing for a chilly day. Cawl is great because it uses seasonal vegetables, meaning you can cut down on your carbon footprint by buying locally grown veg. You can also use a variety of meats – whatever you have available, or even better, ask your butcher what he recommends. Meat on the bone will give you a better flavour if you’re making this dish yourself. Make sure you make a big batch though, it tastes much better the next day as the flavours will have developed and it will be even more delicious!

Welsh cakes

These delicious little treats are similar to the scone – but, I think, much tastier. They’re traditionally cooked quite quickly on a griddle, this means the outsides are crisp but the inside stays deliciously moist. They are usually eaten on their own, but you do sometimes see them sold split in half and smothered with jam. Either way, they’re a delicious mid-afternoon treat.