Your Welsh Guide

The giving and receiving of love spoons between lovers, friends and family is a Welsh custom that dates back to the 17th century. Specific carving on the spoon is symbolic, e.g. a chain symbolises loyalty, a lock is a promise of security, and a Celtic knot denotes eternal love. Today, the love spoon is a special way to celebrate a wedding, an anniversary, an engagement or to say thank you. 

Welshcakes are a traditional sweet bread in Wales cooked on a flat griddle or bakestone. They have been popular since the late 19th century when fat, eggs, sugar and dried fruit were added to a longer standing recipe for flat-bread. Today there are a variety of flavours available, including chocolate, strawberry, lemon and salted caramel, but for many the big debate is, do you add mixed spice to your mix or not? 

Cawl is recognised as a national dish of Wales and recipes date back to the 14th century. It is a broth and its ingredients tend to vary, but the most common recipes include chunks of lamb or beef with leeks, potatoes, swede, carrots and other root vegetables. “Cawl Cennin” is made with leeks and no meat. Cawl is often served with bread and cheese.  

Dewi Sant, or Saint David, was a Welsh bishop of Mynyw (now St Davids in Pembrokeshire) during the 6th century. He is the patron saint of Wales. Dewi was a native of Wales, and he is believed to be the son of Saint Non and the grandson of Ceredig ap Cunedda, king of Ceredigion. His best-known miracle took place when he was preaching in the middle of a large crowd at the village of Llanddewi Brefi and the ground on which he stood rose up to form a small hill allowing the people to see and hear him. Legend also has it that wherever he went, a white dove would follow – this is why most images of the saint features a white dove above his head.