5 Foodie Adventures

From nibbling on insect pakoras to tasting cheese matured in a coal mine, try something new with these memorable Welsh foodie experiences

- Kerry Walker

1 Try cheese that’s been matured in a mine

On the southern fringes of the Brecon Beacons, the Big Pit National Coal Museum stokes the flames of Wales’ industrial heritage. This is no ordinary museum — exhibits are displayed in mining galleries and at pithead baths, and the guides leading visitors on the 300„ descent into the old colliery are former miners.

Local cheesemaker Susan Fiander-Woodhouse, of Blaenafon Cheddar Company, saw a glimmer of opportunity in these dark mines, recognising them as the ideal temperature in which to mature cheddar (10.5C-12C). Besides Big Pit-aged Pwll Mawr cheddar, the company sells other Welsh-themed cheddars, such as bara brith; ta y apple; and Dragons Breath, which has a fiery chilli-mustard kick. museum.wales/bigpit chunkofcheese.co.uk

2 Eat a bug burger in St Davids

Entomophagy: it’s not a word everyone knows, which goes to show that eating insects is still something of a novelty. Dr Sarah Beynon, an entomologist, and her chef husband Andy Holcro„ want to change this perception at the Bug Farm and Grub Kitchen in St Davids. Why? Because eating insects is the sustainable way forward and could just help to save the planet.

Cooked in a converted pigsty and served in an art-slung former cowshed, the food at Grub Kitchen lives up to its noble aim and is full of interesting textures and robust flavors. The signature bug burger arrives charred and smoky, with a tropical jackfruit hit and tomatoes topped with toasted crickets, mealworms and grasshoppers. The spiced insect pakoras and mealworm hummus, meanwhile, are sensational.