Foodie Focus
As Christmas and the New Year beckons, Elouise Hobbs tracks down the foodie-related events in south Wales this winter.
Y Bwrdd Festive Supper Club
Victoria Rd, Penarth, Thurs 6 + Fri 7 Dec
This summer, Annes Elwy and Gwenllian Ellis were enjoying chatting in a pub when they began sharing their love of food; just three months later, they had come together to organise a supper club, Y Bwrdd (The Table). Typically hosted in Pontcanna, for December they decided to do something special – hold the event at home round a family table. So, for the first time, the event will move to Penarth – and due to the size of the house, each event is limited to 16 people. Promises to be all the fun of a homecooked meal, without any of the washing up.
Tickets: £35. Info: www.eventbrite.co.uk
Venetian Supper Club
Academy Espresso Bar, Barry, Sun 16 + Wed 19 Dec
Most Britons probably don’t think of traditional Italian food when thinking about Christmas dinner. Now is the perfect opportunity to change that. Promising an opulent, Italian-inspired Christmas banquet, Leyli Joon and Co are sure to deliver. Limited to 50 people at each sitting, highlights from the menu include osso bucco arancini, deep-fried balls of saffron risotto filled with beef ragu and mozzarella; porchetta – stuffed rolled pork belly, slow roasted with Italian cured meats – and the piste de resistance, bacci, or ricotta doughnuts.
Tickets: £40. Info: www.academyespressobar.co.uk
Vegan Christmas Feast
Kemi’s, Pontcanna, Cardiff, Thurs 13, Fri 14, Wed 19 + Thurs 20 Dec
Kemi’s has been bringing a wide menu of plant-based, locally sourced food into the heart of the community for many years. The great food – made by mother and son duo, Kemi and Patrick – give diners something different. Following a hugely successful event last year, their Vegan Christmas Feast is showing how to do Christmas differently. Don’t expect to miss out on any favourites: the six-course dinner will include twists on ‘pigs’ in blankets as well as Kemi’s Christmas pie and a ‘cheese’ board, alongside a selection of homemade drinks.
Tickets: £30. Info: www.kemis.co.uk
Winter Supper: Beer, Stew And Dumplings
Mad Dog Brewing Co, Pontypool, Fri 25 Jan
January can be a long, cold month – and nothing can beat a hot, homely meal. And, what can be more warming than traditional stew and dumplings enjoyed in a brewery? Mad Dog stand apart for doing things differently – one of their most popular drinks, the All-Day Granola Breakfast Stout, is brewed using handmade granola from the Wye Valley. Of late, they’ve hosted homebrewing classes and now, evening meals. Alongside the meal, which also includes a vegetarian option, guests will be able to enjoy a beer from the Mad Dog tap room to round off the evening.
Tickets: £9 Info: www.maddogbrew.co.uk
