Introduction
Welsh cuisine is increasingly popular and you will find traditional Welsh foods and dishes proudly offered in cafes, pubs and restaurants across Wales!
Whether in the cities of Cardiff and Swansea in the south, or towns and villages in the north like Llandudno and Betws-y-Coed, Welsh cuisine, recipes and cooking are now as celebrated as ever.
Historically many traditional Welsh recipes and cooking methods have developed over the years as a way of feeding hard working people using inexpensive local ingredients.
They have then been handed down from generation to generation, and from family to family, and are now tasty, everyday dishes unique to our country.
We tell you here:
how to have a ‘foodie’ themed holiday here in Eryri | Snowdonia and North Wales!
where to find the best places to eat and drink
where to buy Welsh produce and ingredients
and we look at some of the traditional dishes and foods Wales is famous for
Fancy a foodie holiday in Eryri | Snowdonia & North Wales?
Are you planning your holiday in Wales in 2026 and want food to be a big part of your trip?
If so we will happily help and advise you on the best places to taste delicious Welsh food when you stay with us at Crafnant House - our B&B in Eryri | Snowdonia, North Wales!
To help you plan your foodie holiday:
you will find a map and link below to the best places to eat and drink in Eryri | Snowdonia and North Wales - many near our B&B - which you can use to find the perfect lunch or dinner!
we have also listed local places where you can buy Welsh foods and ingredients if you want a unique souvenir to take home!
and when you stay with us you get to try our delicious breakfasts - including our very popular ‘daily specials!’ - and we use the best locally sourced Welsh ingredients in them
Planning a foodie holiday in Eryri | Snowdonia and North Wales in 2026?
Crafnant House is our boutique B&B in the village of Trefriw - near Betws-y-Coed and Conwy - and you can book your stay here:
How to find the best places to eat and drink in Eryri | Snowdonia and North Wales!
If you are visiting Eryri | Snowdonia and North Wales and are looking for the best places to eat and drink then check out the comprehensive guide on our ‘eating out’ page.
You will find both there and on the map below our favourite pubs, cafes and restaurants in the region, all not far from our B&B in Trefriw!
Many of our recommended places showcase local Welsh ingredients and drinks - just click on the link here for more information:
The best places to eat in Eryri | Snowdonia & North Wales ☞
Check out North Wales Grub too which is a fantastic Instagram feed and website featuring the latest food openings and events in the region!
The best places to buy Welsh produce and ingredients in Eryri | Snowdonia & North Wales
Meanwhile if you want to buy local Welsh food and ingredients whilst on holiday check out these recommendations for shops that stock the best quality Welsh products:
Blas ar Fwyd
Llanrwst
This local company in the nearby town of Llanrwst has specialised in Welsh food and drinks since 1988.
They source some of the best food and ingredients from suppliers across Wales - if they don’t stock it then it probably doesn’t exist!
Blas ar Fwyd also has a fantastic deli and wine shop in Llanrwst - the latter stocking Welsh wines, gins, whiskys and craft beers - and they also offer a mail-order service.
Bodnant Welsh Food
Conwy Valley
Located near us in the heart of the Conwy Valley, Bodnant Welsh Food showcases the very best produce from around the region.
There is a deli, butchers, bakery and wine shop on site and you will find a wide selection of artisan products.
You can also enjoy tasty food at both the Furnace cafe and Hayloft Bar and Grill which are found in the same location.
Dylans General Stores
Conwy, Menai Bridge & Criccieth
This North Wales mini-chain of restaurants now also has brilliantly stocked general stores in Conwy, Menai Bridge and Criccieth.
They stock their own range of freshly made baked goods, ingredients and condiments along with some of the best produce made in North Wales.
They also have an online shop so you can order their own sauces and hampers to enjoy at home!
Iechyd Da
Betws-y-Coed
This independent family run delicatessen is located near us in the picturesque village of Betws-y-Coed in Eryri | Snowdonia National Park.
As well as showcasing local produce it also stocks products from around the world, and also specialises in sugar free (diabetic) and gluten free foods.
Rhug Estate Farm Shop
Corwen
The farm shop at the Rhug Estate stocks a wide range of products from local Welsh suppliers and small businesses.
This includes the sale of their own farm products and there is also an organic meats and deli counter.
Best of all, it is a very handy pit-stop on the A5 if travelling to us from the Midlands or South Wales - they even have a drive-thru coffee shop!
The best traditional foods, cooking and recipes that Wales is famous for!
These are some of the dishes and ingredients you will get to try when you eat out in North Wales on your holiday, or try making them at home now if you fancy a real taste of Wales!
Welsh Rarebit
Welsh Rarebit is - quite simply - famous for being the best cheese on toast you will ever have, and it often appears as a popular special for breakfast at Crafnant House, our B&B.
Our rarebit recipe combines Welsh cheese (we suggest crumbly Caerphilly cheese of course), egg, milk (or local beer / stout if there is any left over!), mustard and Worcestershire sauce.
When we make it the mixture is spread thickly on Jasmine’s homemade bread before grilling it until the cheese bubbles, melts and darkens slightly.
Variations can include having a fried egg on top - this is known as ‘buck rarebit’ - or bacon.
If you miss out on it for breakfast don’t worry - lots of cafes, pubs and restaurants across North Wales serve it for lunch and dinner.
Our Welsh Rarebit, served with slow-roasted vine tomatoes!
Bara Brith
Bara Brith - meaning ‘speckled bread’ - is a traditional rich fruit cake found all over Wales.
Methods of making bara brith do vary across the country but the key ingredients are usually mixed spices, dried fruit and…. tea!
The dried fruit is soaked in the tea - usually overnight - which gives the cake the unique flavour it has.
We have also seen recipes which add Penderyn Welsh whisky!
You will find bara brith on offer in many cafes in North Wales - just the perfect accompaniment to a cup of tea or coffee!
Bara Brith is definitely worth trying when you visit Wales!
Cawl
This staple of Welsh cooking is almost the national dish of Wales!
A hearty stew or broth, cawl is typical of food being both wholesome and traditionally based on what was available from the surrounding land.
It is also known as ‘lobscows’ in areas of Eryri | Snowdonia and North Wales where we are located - similar to the dish ‘scouse’ in Liverpool - and is traditionally made in one pot.
Recipes vary across different regions, and can even change between villages and towns within the same area.
Cawl will always include though tasty ingredients such as bacon, lamb or beef and whichever seasonal vegetables are available, such as leeks, carrots and potatoes.
Watch this video on how to make lamb cawl!
Conwy Mussels
The medieval walled town of Conwy in North Wales is renowned for historic buildings such as the castle and smallest house, but in addition it is famous for something else: mussels!
The River Conwy meets the Irish Sea in the estuary, so freshwater and saltwater combine together resulting in delicious, succulent orange coloured mussels.
Pubs and restaurants in the region often have them on the menu - including The Tal-y-Cafn pub not far from us in the Conwy valley.
They are well worth trying - we cook ours in a local Welsh cider when we have them for dinner!
Welsh Cakes
These distinctive, tasty treats are like a combination of small pancakes, soft cookies and flat scones containing fruit.
Welsh cakes are traditionally prepared on a hot griddle or ‘bakestone’ rather than baked in an oven.
They are easy to make, and once cooked sugar is sprinkled on top.
And they are great eaten warm although are equally delicious cold, and regardless served of course with a big pot of tea!
Lots of cafes locally serve Welsh cakes and supermarkets usually sell them, so you will definitely get to try them when you stay here!
Welsh Cakes are the perfect accompaniment to a cup of tea!
Laverbread
Laverbread is a seaweed dish that is traditionally found with sausage, bacon and eggs in a ‘full Welsh breakfast’.
It is the one ingredient that clearly distinguishes it from an English, Scottish or Irish cooked breakfast, and is very good for you as it is full of rich minerals and iron.
Made from seaweed harvested at the Welsh coast, laverbread is similar to Japanese ‘nori’, and after being cooked and softened is usually served as a paste or puree.
It can then be spread on toast, or more commonly combined with ingredients such as oats to make a ‘pattie’ before being fried.
We didn’t normally serve it for breakfast here at Crafnant House as it is one of those ‘love it or hate it’ foods, and most people are surprised that it doesn’t actually involve….. bread!
What we have started doing though is making the ‘laverbread cakes’ mentioned above with oats and buckwheat flour for a breakfast special - fried in oil and topped with an egg they taste delicious!
Parsons Pickles in Carmarthenshire manufacture and sell laverbread.
Leeks
This humble vegetable has become one of the national emblems of Wales.
You will find leeks as an ingredient in a variety of traditional dishes such as the hearty stew called cawl mentioned above, or it might be the star of the show such as in a good leek soup.
We often shred them finely and sweat them down slowly in butter to release the sweet flavours.
Then we often combine the leeks with chicken and cream to make a delicious pie!
You will also find them in our homemade vegetarian Glamorgan sausages which we sometimes serve at breakfast, or equally leeks are great in a classic omelette!
Shredded leaks sautéed in butter!
Welsh Lamb
The land has shaped what food the people here have eaten over centuries, and Welsh lamb is justifiably world famous due to generation after generation farming their sheep on the lush, vivid green mountains and valleys of Wales.
You will see sheep EVERYWHERE in Eryri | Snowdonia when you stay with us - they have even appeared in our garden!
When it comes to cooking and tasting Welsh lamb it is beautifully tender and full of flavour, especially if cooked slowly for a few hours at least.
Our village butchers in Trefriw - right opposite our B&B - always has different cuts available to buy and cook at home.
Slow-cooked lamb shoulder is a great way of cooking lamb
Glamorgan Sausages
These tasty creations actually do not contain any meat - people are often surprised that they are a vegetarian version of a meat sausage!
Caerphilly cheese, breadcrumbs and leeks are combined and coated in more breadcrumbs before being fried in oil or butter.
Done properly, the outside is crispy whilst the inside is all tasty gooey cheesy goodness!!!
We sometimes make our own Glamorgan sausages here at our B&B with our own special recipe, giving our vegetarian guests a delicious alternative at breakfast.
Hopefully this will all give you ideas on how to find and taste the best food when you visit North Wales!
Crafnant House is our bed and breakfast in the village of Trefriw, Eryri | Snowdonia.
Our Victorian home has five guest bedrooms decorated in a modern style, and a delicious breakfast is served each morning in our dining room.
We look forward to welcoming you to Wales soon!
Welsh cuisine is increasingly popular and you will find traditional Welsh foods and dishes proudly offered in cafes, pubs and restaurants across Wales!
Whether in the cities of Cardiff and Swansea in the south, or towns and villages in the north like Llandudno and Betws-y-Coed, Welsh cuisine, recipes and cooking are now as celebrated as ever.
We’ll happily advise you on the best places to taste these delicious foods when you stay with us at Crafnant House - our B&B in Eryri | Snowdonia, North Wales!