Two Welsh food manufacturers have joined forces on a mission to create the perfect Welsh cake.
The Lewis Bakery is focused on delivering quality, hand finished products and where possible sourcing local ingredients. Shirgar Butter, which produces traditional Welsh salted butter, have recently formed a partnership with the bakery in a bid to re-develop a treat much-loved throughout Wales; the Welsh cake.
Swansea-based Lewis Pies has been producing baked goods since 1936. The Lewis Bakery, another branch to the company which produces breads, cakes and various sweet treats, will work with Shirgar Butter over the coming months to combine the companies’ expertise in the food industry and perfect the recipe for Welsh cakes. The companies aim to present its perfected creation in time for St. David’s Day (1st March), the day which celebrates Wales’ patron saint.
Welsh cakes have been a popular teatime treat for many years and are a staple delicacy within Welsh culture. Served warm from the griddle in markets across Wales and dusted with sugar, they are a sweet comfort to the people of the country.
Wilf Lewis, commercial director of the Lewis Pies and Pasty Company, said:
“Working with Shirgar Butter is a partnership we are very excited about. Over recent years, there has been a move towards customers seeking more locally sourced ingredients and products. Collaborating with Shirgar Butter will help The Lewis Bakery to produce Welsh cakes that meet this demand for home grown produce, as both The Lewis Bakery and Shirgar only use Welsh based ingredients and local suppliers to manufacture its goods.”
Jon Lewis at Shirgar Butter, said:
“We are a company that is extremely proud of its Welsh roots. Our butter is the ideal ingredient to include into a product like Welsh cakes, as it is sweet yet slightly salty, and this really enhances the flavour of the cake. Shirgar Butter was one of only 120 ‘three star winners’ in the 2015 Great Taste Awards out of 10,000 entries, and was also shortlisted for the supreme champion reaching the last 16 stage. We feel this shows how much consumers like our butter.
“We are looking forward to working with The Lewis Bakery and seeing what we can do together to make the most of this traditional Welsh sweet.”
