This is food and drink. This is Wales.

Wales, a land of rugged coastlines shaped by deep blue sea, flowing rivers, proud mountains, thick green grass, traditional pastures and meadows, and engrained with heritage and, culture is home to a rich and diverse food and drink industry. With a deep connection to its landscape, people and culture, Welsh food and drink, alongside majestic castles and ancient hill forts, has made Wales a sustainable food destination.

The abundance of natural resources and outstanding landscapes, combined with a focus on developing new technologies and innovation in food production, creates a place where the traditional is re-imagined by a new generation, whilst staying true to quality and provenance.

It may be a small nation, however, the range of food and drink produced in Wales is diverse, with regional nuances in flavours, processes and techniques. From responsible farming and fishing practices, to B-Corp accreditation, eco-friendly packaging processes and a fair work ethos – these are just some of the elements that define the industry.

Like most of what we do here in Wales, our food and drink is deep-rooted in our communities, shaped by our landscape and honed by our culture, language and people. This passion and dedication to produce a wealth of produce of exceptional quality and taste is impossible to overlook, and we can thank our farmers, growers and fishers for that.

However, it takes people with imagination, skill and courage to do something amazing with all that raw potential, and our ever-evolving food and drink sector continues to innovate, creating award-winning produce. In 2022 alone, 182 food and drink products from Wales won a prestigious Great Taste award.

Attracting thousands of artisan food producers from across the globe, Great Taste is the world’s largest and most trusted food and drink accreditation scheme. Products are judged by taste alone, blind-tasted by selected chefs, cooks, buyers, retailers, restaurateurs, food critics and writers.

Eating and cooking with fresh, locally sourced produce is something Wales prides itself on, with many of its traditional recipes created with just a few quality ingredients.

While internationally recognised accreditation such as Geographical Indication (GI) status, positioning 19 of our iconic food and drink products on the world stage, it is not surprising that internationally renowned chefs seek out Welsh products to serve in their restaurants.

Succulent PGI Welsh Lamb, flavoursome Conwy Mussels PDO and a crisp Welsh Wine PDO/PGI are just some of the delicious food and drink items to enjoy this summer with family and friends.

Wales will never be the world’s biggest food producer with mile-wide wheat fields and palm-oil plantations. However, that is alright because business is booming. Instead, the focus is on high-quality food and drink produced by passionate people who care about what they do and the impact it has on their natural environment.

Would you like to experience Welsh products in Wales? Why not attend our upcoming BlasCymru/TasteWales trade event, offering an unrivalled opportunity to learn more about the nation’s food and drink. Find out more at tastewales.com

For more information on Welsh food and drink visit gov.wales/foodanddrinkwales