The second ever National Laverbread Day takes place on April 14. The national day was launched in 2022 to celebrate laverbread – a Welsh delicacy made by cooking laver (porphyra seaweed) for many hours.
Laverbread is a traditional part of a Welsh breakfast, but it has many other uses. These days you’ll find it in biscuits, breads, sauces and seasoning – and many high-end chefs make creative use of its distinctive umami flavour.
National Laverbread Day was created by Jonathan Williams, founder of the Pembrokeshire Seafood Company, which is based in Pembrokeshire, West Wales. The company produces laverbread and laverbread-based foods, and also runs Café Môr a multi-award-winning street food outlet that now has a permanent base at The Old Point House, the pub at Angle, Pembrokeshire that the Pembrokeshire Beach Food Company took over in 2022.
Laverbread Day will see a whole host of events taking place at The Old Point House, including laverbread tasting, live music, a laverbread eating competition and a laverbread history exhibition.
Other pubs, chefs, delicatessens and food-focussed businesses are invited to get involved.
“We have chosen April 14 as National Laverbread Day because it’s the same day the Japanese celebrate ‘Mother of the Sea Day’ in honour of Kathleen Mary Drew-Baker, whose research into the cultivation of porphyra seaweed led to a commercial breakthrough for the Japanese Nori (laver) industry,” says Jonathan.
“Last year’s inaugural event was a great success – The Old Point House welcomed hundreds of visitors, including a male voice choir, and Café Môr did a roaring trade in its famous laverbread-based street food. Other businesses across the country held laverbread-themed events too, putting laverbread on the menu for the day.”
Jonathan hopes this year’s National Laverbread Day will be even bigger and better.
“Laverbread is a delicious, interesting, and underused ingredient, and the aim of National Laverbread Day is to encourage people to try eating and cooking with it. In terms of sustainability credentials, it’s the food of the future – and it’s also packed with nutrients.
“We’re encouraging people to try cooking with laverbread at home and share their pictures with the hashtag #Nationallaverbreadday.”
More information about National Laverbread Day can be found at www.laverbreadday.co.uk, and you can buy laverbread from www.beachfood.co.uk.
Anyone wanting to hold their own event can email jonathan@beachfood.co.uk
