Category: Events

Christmas Food Gifts from Wales

Christmas food gifts, especially those that can be delivered direct to door are increasingly appealing. Artisans you’d normally have expected to see at food festivals, you can indulge in an online foodie shopping experience. There are benefits to both the sender and those lucky enough to receive them.  Part of this appeal is the utter convenience of being able to shop from the comfort of your own home.  What a bonus for you to now be able to buy from us direct, luxury Welsh food handmade in Wales for your enjoyment.

Choose luxury artisan Christmas food gifts

Choosing from our award-winning, artisanal, handmade, luxury food to buy online couldn’t be more convenient or any easier.  Having access to your favourite artisan food in one space certainly takes the legwork out of present buying. These are the key elements of the luxury Welsh food we make; multi award-winning food from the heart of Wales.  All of our foods are made with Welsh grown and produced ingredients. We’ve picked up many awards over the years from The Worlds Original Marmalade Awards, The Guild of Fine Food Great Taste Awards and International Cheese Awards.  We are artisan producers and use Welsh grown and produced ingredients in each of our products.

Award winning produce from Wales

We work closely with local suppliers and growers and source some amazing produce from Wales.  We focus on making luxury Welsh food perfect for gifting and for your enjoyment.  Visit our online shop where you can buy all of your luxury foodie gifts and get them delivered direct to door.

Buy seasonal foodie gifts from Wales

Time management and running a tight schedule during the festive season means buying online can be a simple solution. Buying online can take some of the strain of finding time to track down that perfect gift from Wales.  Options to browse select gifts and hampers online or to even build your own hamper and then simply checkout couldn’t be easier.   Add in a gift card and include your special message without having to lift a pen, find an envelope or stick on a bow before it’s all packed up and sent out for you.  If you choose gifts and hampers ready to go and drop an “Especially selected for you” card in at the checkout. It’s your one-stop shopping experience at its best and gifting a joy. 

Create food memories

Sending Christmas food gifts to loved ones, friends and colleagues and bringing a festive Welsh rural food experience to their table is so thoughtful.  For every holiday or mini break away we can all recall precious moments of our trip, so many of which are food related.  When you’ve enjoyed great food on your travels gifting a food experience evoking memories of beautiful holidays away can help recreate those “good times”. 

Choose your perfect food gifts this Christmas

Each of the luxury Welsh products in the online shop are perfect for gifting.  They are all available for you to buy individually so you can make up your own Christmas food gifts.  Choosing a gift pack trio, or a hamper means you get the full gifting experience.  Browse the selection, add to the basket and then checkout when you’re ready.  Each of the gifts are beautifully packaged and finished with a bow and an about us card.  If you’re looking for a very personalised gift then you can now add in an occasion card.  You choose the occasion, we’ll handwrite your personal note and send it for delivery along with your chosen gift. 

Celebrate the festive season and choose Christmas gifts online

Festive trio packs, seasons greetings hampers, these are in fact just for Christmas!  A festive seasonal selection beautifully packaged in our lux hamper boxes.  Subscriptions are a gift that keep on giving, there’s a few different options to choose from.  You can try a sweet, savoury or a seasonal subscription selection with either 3, 6 or 12 monthly deliveries.  If you’re finding choosing from the selection of festive trio’s, hampers and subscription gifts too taxing you can always take the strain out of it with a gift card.  Simply choose from the gift cards which come in a variety of options and leave it up to your loved one to choose from the seasonal collection this Christmas.  Merry Christmas!

Mother’s Day Food Gifts

Celebrate a day especially dedicated to mothers and special women who hold an important presence in your life. Also known as Mothering Sunday. It’s an ideal moment to say thank you for being Mum and to show appreciation and gratitude to our mothers for everything they do for us. Because even if you regularly share special times together it’s just another lovely excuse to have a get together and do something nice. Who doesn’t like a treat!

The first and most important step in choosing Mother’s Day food gifts is to consider your mother’s preferences. Have a think about what foods she likes and what she doesn’t. Does she have any dietary restrictions or food allergies? Are sweet or savoury foods on her list of favourites? Does your Mum enjoy spending time cooking or baking? By considering your mother’s preferences, you can ensure that you choose a food gift that she will love.

Celebrate with an Afternoon Tea or a Picnic

Whether it’s two or a group family affair you’d like to have, why not celebrate with your Mum and create an afternoon tea or picnic experience to share. Although we’re heading into Spring the weather can still be a little on the chilly side. An indoor treat is always lovely whatever the weather. Try your hand at making homemade scones. We’ve got a buttermilk scone recipe ready for you to either make together or make in advance. They’re quick and easy to put together and are simply delicious served warm.

Mother’s Day Afternoon Tea

All you’ll need to dress your table is a pretty tablecloth or covering, a tea set or your favourite mugs and plates. Maybe add a bunch of flowers or a flowering plant. Serve your homemade scones with luxury preserves and clotted cream. Some favourite preserves are Welsh Blackcurrant Conserve, Welsh Strawberry Conserve and Welsh Gooseberry & Elderflower Preserve and these make a delicious gift for you to share. You could either pick up individual jars or choose one of the gift packs or hampers. For that little extra way to spoil your Mum add some fizz to the occasion and serve your afternoon cream tea with a glass of chilled prosecco or champagne.

Mother’s Day Picnic

If you are celebrating Mother’s Day with a picnic, you could choose a food gift that is easy to transport and enjoy outdoors. You could choose her favourite cheeses with a selection of chutneys, crackers, bread and seasonal fruits. Or why not make a charcuterie board with different types of meats, cheeses and accompaniments. Serve something delicious for pudding. We love a freshly baked warm scone and there’s always a place for them especially with Welsh Blackcurrant Conserve and cream.

Luxury Hampers and Gifts

Well presented Mother’s Day food gifts can be an ideal way to make your mother feel extra special. We also have a super selection of luxury hampers and luxury gifts to choose from. Mothers Day food gifts from Pantri Swswen are beautifully packaged and finished with a lux bow. You can even add a special personalised note when you place your order on an “Especially selected for you” gift tags.

Now you’re all set to spend some quality time and indulge with your loved ones with an experience and thoughtful gift. It’s such a lovely way to say a big thank you just for being you on Mothering Sunday!

Great Taste Three Star Award 2021

Pantri Swswen based in Caersws, Mid Wales has been awarded a Great Taste Three Star Award for Welsh Blackcurrant Conserve and 1-star award for their Welsh Redcurrant Preserve.  Great Taste is the largest and most trusted food and drink awards on the planet. Out of 5,383 products worldwide to receive an award they are one of 4127 to receive a Great Taste 1-star & one of only 218 to receive a 3-star accolade on 21 September 2021. Pantri Swswen will now be able to display the unmistakable black and gold logo, a stamp of excellence that is recognised by retailers and consumers alike.

Judges Comments

Pantri Swswen are thrilled with the judges comments for their Welsh Blackcurrant Conserve “The aromas are of vibrant blackcurrants and they make your mouth water. This conserve has intense blackcurrant flavour with length and freshness. You get a sense of really good fruit which has been skillfully crafted into a fantastic product. The balance of fruit, sweetness and acidity is just stunning and makes this conserve feel like a real treat.”  “This is a gorgeous conserve – the colour is so intense, the smell is pure blackcurrant bushes, and the taste is divine. The soft set is lovely, there is enough fruit to give texture, but the most important aspect is the taste, and that is stunning. The maker has allowed the tartness of the blackcurrants to sing, and that is part of the success. A great product made with care”  and for their Welsh Redcurrant Preserve “A beautifully fresh colour and flavour – lovely acidity and well judged sweetness. Glossy and pretty. It tastes fabulous. You have captured all the characteristics that redcurrants have, not least their wonderful acidity. We didn’t mind the pips because that’s what redcurrants have! This is so well made and you have taken time and effort to ensure that the redcurrant and its amazing flavour have been allowed to shine”.

We are thrilled!

Lizzie Jones owner explains: “Welsh grown blackcurrants, sugar, water and a delicate cook to reach a soft set. It’s such a simple, humble yet perfect preserve that let’s the taste of blackcurrants shine. This conserve has been a best seller since we first started Pantri Swswen in 2012 and entering it into the Great Taste Awards this year has certainly proved fruitful!  We are thrilled with this award and to have also picked up an award for our Welsh Redcurrant Preserve is wonderful.  All of our preserves and cakes are made using Welsh grown and sourced ingredients, in particular we strive to support our local Welsh growers and producers who share our passion for Welsh food.  Small batch artisan production methods enable us to preserve and enhance the purity of the ingredients and we are thrilled that this has been recognised through our multiple awards and becoming a Great Taste Producer.

The Great Taste 1-star Welsh Redcurrant Preserve and 3-star Welsh Blackcurrant Conserve are available from local retail outlets and to purchase via our online shop Pantri Swswen and also in our gift pack trio’s and luxury hampers.

September 2021

For more information:

Contact: Lizzie

E:  lizzie@pantriswswen.co.uk

Guild of Fine Food Facts and Figures

Facts and figures about Great Taste 2021:

• Established in 1994, Great Taste is organised by the Guild of Fine Food and is the world’s largest, longest standing and most respected food accreditation scheme for artisan and speciality food producers.
• 14,113 different products were entered in 2021 from 108 countries.
• 355 judges blind-tasted this year’s entries, including; Joanna Blythman, investigative journalist and food writer. Cook, writer, stylist and voice of modern vegetarian cooking Anna Jones. Author, Olia Hercules. Kenny Tutt, MasterChef 2018 champion and restaurateur. Food writer and cook, Xanthe Clay. Presenter, author and tutor, Steven Lamb. Baker and author, Martha Collison, and Kavi Thakrar from Dishoom, as well as food buyers from Selfridges, Fortnum & Mason and Partridges.
• Socially distanced judging took place over 86 days at four venues including Guild HQ in Gillingham, Dorset and the Guild of Fine Food’s London home, No. 42 Southwark Street, SE1
• 4,027 awarded a Great Taste 1-star – A food that delivers fantastic flavour. Approximately 30% of entries will achieve this rating each year.
• 1,138 awarded a Great Taste 2-star – Above and beyond delicious – less than 10% of entries will achieve this rating.
• 218 awarded a Great Taste 3-star – Extraordinarily tasty foods – less than 2% of products are awarded a 3-star each year – don’t leave the shop without buying it!

Mention in Welsh Press

In store food tasting events

In store food tasting and meet the producer events are set up to take place within your retail outlets.  We can visit your store and set up a small pop-up taster station and engage with you customers for a few hours during your normal trading times.  Or, we can arrange samples for you to set up your own in-house taster event.  They’re are the perfect way to introduce our products to your customers.  They also offer the opportunity to sample new products and pair and up sell with other lines.

Derwen Farm Shop

We recently held local events and held an event in the busy retail outlet Derwen Farm Shop in Guilsfield.

Our tasting events are the perfect way for us to introduce Pantri Swswen to your Farm Shop and Delicatessen customers.  We get to talk about our luxury welsh products that we’ re so passionate about.  You get the chance to connect your customers to great welsh local food producers.

Cultivate Deli

We’ve also held successful taster events for Cultivate based in Newtown.  Originally situated in Glanhafren Market Hall.  They’ve recently moved to 13 High Street and have created a real hub for local producers there.

We’re keen to engage with new trade customers to help you establish a loyal customer base for our luxury products 

Get in touch if you’d like to stock Pantri Swswen on your shelves and set up an event or sampling for your customers taste our delicious welsh luxury preserves and cakes.

Welsh Food Brand

Launching our new branding and range of products proved a great hit at the event at Coleg Powys on 12th March 2013.  We give a special thanks to the Newtown based Ontrac team .  This is for all of their wonderful support in developing our gorgeous logo and welsh food brand design.

Lovely comments from Sian Lloyd at the event about our cakes and preserves.  Sian is a real champion of local welsh food.  She said to My Newtown at the event:  “I love cooking and really support the ‘piggy-backing’ of one local producer to another.  The College farm to the kitchen, and, for example, Hilltop Honey to Pantri Swswen cakes, they taste so wonderful.  It’s lovely that the students are encouraged in this way.”

Photo Credit

We give a special thanks to Joyce Jones Photography for capturing the moment on the day.

The event was arranged through the Coleg with local tourist attractions, hoteliers, restaurants, tourist accommodation and retail outlets in attendance.  Local welsh food producers displayed their products and were able to talk directly to outlets.  With the talented Coleg team of staff and students showcasing their skills, support and the enthusiasm for local welsh food.

Welsh Government Support

Cywain is a support project delivered through Mentr a Busnes assisted us to develop the brand.  They have provided us with support to growing the business.  Their Regional Development Manager helped with our latest branded booklet for our range of luxury hampers and multi-packs.

Fast forward to 2020, support from Welsh Government has seen further growth in the business.  We were privileged to feature as a case study for Superfast Business Wales.   The coverage has promoted our business as a growing welsh food brand.  We are continually thankful for the support provided by the Welsh Government.