Welsh Wedding Menu

A traditional Welsh Wedding Menu: would have been very different than its modern counterpart. The rugged shore, mountains with deep valleys and marshland, governed the availability and accessibility of food. Throw in the weather and it is little wonder that root vegetables were far and few between, apart from the leek – the Welsh emblem. Cabbage was the other main vegetable. Food developed to satisfy the hungry farm workers, miners, quarrymen and fishermen. There was little variety until improved methods of storage and preserving were developed. Nowadays Welsh cuisine is international serving its multi-cultural society.

What would have been on a traditional Welsh wedding menu?

“Bwyd cymreig traddodiadol”, “traditional Welsh Food”, although Welsh lamb is common now, it would have been more usual to find pork as a staple mid-week and weekend meal. Lamb was kept for special occasions only. Herring and mackerel caught off the west coast would also have been prominent in Welsh diets. Poverty amongst many of the Welsh was then not uncommon. However, it was traditional to eke out supplies and “put something aside” for a special occasion.

You may have found any of the following on a traditional Welsh wedding menu:

- “Bakestones”, “Welsh Cakes”, biscuits
- “Bara Brith”, fruit bread
- “Bara Claddu”, fruit loaf served buttered
- “Bara Lawr” “laver bread”, edible seaweed found on SW coast of Wales
- “Berries”, seasonal tiny wild strawberries, blackberries, etc.
- “Caerphilly”, mild crumbly white cheese originated in South Wales
- “Cawl”, soup or stew made from meat and vegetables, depending upon what was in season
- “Caws Pobi”, “Welsh Rarebit”, melted cheese on toast
- “Crempog”, Welsh pancakes, savory crempog make an excellent entree
- “Glamorgan Sausage”, a vegetarian sausage
- “Pork”, roasted on a spit
- “Pice ar y Maen”, Welsh cake
- “Salt Duck”, duck salted, hung, then cooked in stock
- “Salt marsh Lamb”, this variety is much smaller than the rest of UK lamb
- “Sewin”, sea trout
- “Sgon Gyren”, current scone
- “Teisen lap”, shallow moist fruit cake
- “Y-fenni”, mature Welsh hard cheese blended with mustard and welsh ale

Drinks would have comprised of Welsh wine, home made ale, cider and elderflower wine.

What would a modern Welsh wedding menu comprise of today?

“Coginio Cymreig Cyfoes”, (modern Welsh cooking), combined with increased wealth and prosperity means that you may find yourself choosing from a Welsh wedding menu as follows:

I hope you have loads of fun putting your Welsh wedding menu together!




Welsh Wedding Menu