Food & Drink
As a region renowned for its hospitality, food is certainly a passion in South East Wales. Throughout the region you will find a variety of award winning restaurants, national chains, good old fashion pubs and excellent little eateries, there is definitely something to cater for all tastes. The Wye Valley alone boasts two Michelin starred Restaurants, The Walnut Tree near Abergavenny and The Crown at Whitebrook near Monmouth.
South East Wales offers fantastic locally produced foods. The region has plenty of opportunities for you to sample our local produce, ranging from Blaenavon Cheese, flavoured with all sorts of wonderful ingredients and left to mature at the bottom of a coal mine to the St Fagans pork sausages.
September is the month for foodies in South East Wales, with food festivals taking place across the region including a unique festival around the historic buildings of the National History Museum at St Fagans near Cardiff, The Abergavenny festival which is regarded as one of the biggest and best Food Festivals in the UK and the Great British Cheese Festival held in Cardiff Castle. There is always something somewhere to satisfy every foodie in the region.
It’s not just the Scottish who know how to make Whisky! The Penderyn Distillery, Wales' only distillery produces its award wining products using the water sourced from the natural spring on which it sits in the foothills of the Brecon Beacons National Park. If you are a whiskey (or Gin) drinker this is well worth a visit. South East Wales is home to several vineyards producing quality Wine, the Glyndwr Vineyard in Cowbridge is the oldest established vineyard in Wales visitors are able to take a tour of the vineyard or even spend a night at the B&B.
You can’t live in South East Wales without sampling a pint or two of Brains SA, some claim it was the power behind Wales’ 2005 & 2008 Six Nations Grand slams, other claim it’s the cause of Wales humiliation in the 2007 Rugby World Cup, either way it’s a fine pint!
Blaenavon also boasts its own brewery; the Rhymney brewery has recently located in the UNESCO world heritage site, and offers you the opportunity to take a tour around the brewery.
