Celebrating St Dwynwen’s Day with Welsh Food and Drink

Often described as Wales’ answer to Valentine’s Day, St Dwynwen’s Day is celebrated on 25 January and is a perfect excuse to embrace romance with a distinctly Welsh flavour. 

Whether you’re planning a cosy night in or a special meal to share, Welsh food and drink offer warmth, tradition, and heartfelt comfort — all very much in the spirit of love.

Who Was St Dwynwen?

St Dwynwen is the patron saint of lovers in Wales. According to legend, she lived on Llanddwyn Island, where she devoted her life to helping others find happiness in love after her own romance ended sadly. Today, her story is remembered as one of kindness, compassion, and emotional resilience — making her day about meaningful connection rather than grand gestures.

A Welsh-Inspired St Dwynwen’s Day Menu

Start with Something Comforting

Cawl, Wales’ national dish, is a wonderful way to begin a winter evening. This slow-cooked stew of lamb or beef with root vegetables is hearty, nourishing, and ideal for sharing — perfect for a January celebration that favours warmth over extravagance.

A Main Course Made for Sharing

Welsh lamb is world-renowned, and a simple roasted lamb dish with rosemary, garlic, and seasonal vegetables makes for an elegant yet unfussy centrepiece. Alternatively, Welsh rarebit — rich, cheesy, and deeply comforting — works beautifully for a more relaxed, bistro-style St Dwynwen’s supper.

Cheese, Crackers, and Conversation

A Welsh cheese board brings romance down to earth in the best possible way. Look for classics such as Caerphilly, Perl Las, or a strong Welsh cheddar, served with oatcakes, chutney, and perhaps a few slices of apple or pear.

Sweet Treats with a Welsh Twist

No St Dwynwen’s Day is complete without something sweet. Welsh cakes, especially when served warm with butter or a dusting of sugar, are a simple but heartfelt dessert. For something a little more traditional, bara brith — the much-loved fruit loaf — pairs beautifully with a cup of tea and a quiet moment together.

Drinks to Toast Welsh Love

Raise a glass to love with a Welsh drink to match your menu:

Welsh craft beers for a relaxed, pub-style celebration

Welsh gin, often infused with botanicals inspired by the local landscape

Welsh mead, rich with honeyed history and romance

Or a small dram of Penderyn Distillery whisky for a warming, indulgent finish

More Than Romance

St Dwynwen’s Day doesn’t have to be limited to couples. It’s equally suited to celebrating friendships, long-standing partnerships, or simply taking a moment to appreciate warmth, kindness, and connection during the darker days of winter.

With comforting food, locally inspired drinks, and a nod to Welsh heritage, celebrating St Dwynwen’s Day is less about pressure and perfection, and more about sharing something heartfelt, together.

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Faggots with Onion Gravy — A Hearty Welsh Classic

Rich, comforting, and steeped in working-class history, faggots with onion gravy have long been a staple on Welsh dinner tables. 

Made from minced pork offal, breadcrumbs, and herbs, these robust meatballs were traditionally a way to make the most of every part of the animal — true to the thrifty, no-nonsense roots of Welsh cooking.

Today, they’re appreciated not just for their practicality but for their deep, satisfying flavour — the kind of meal that warms you through from the inside out.

From Butcher’s Scraps to Culinary Treasure

Faggots date back centuries and were a common feature of rural and industrial communities across South Wales, especially in the Valleys and former mining towns. Historically made by hand in local butcher shops, they were often served as affordable comfort food — doused in a rich onion gravy and nestled next to creamy mashed potatoes and garden peas.

Welsh butchers would typically use a blend of pig’s liver, heart, and belly, seasoned generously with sage and pepper, then wrap the mixture in caul fat to hold it together while roasting.

A Dish with Regional Heart

While the dish is also found in parts of England (especially the Midlands), Welsh-style faggots are distinctive for their liberal use of offal, bold seasoning, and deeply savoury onion gravy. They are particularly associated with South Wales communities such as Merthyr Tydfil, Pontypridd, and Swansea.

In modern Welsh kitchens, faggots might now be made with pork mince instead of offal, but the essence of the dish — economical, earthy, and deeply nourishing — remains intact.

Traditional Recipe: Welsh Faggots with Onion Gravy

Ingredients:

For the faggots:

300g pig’s liver (or a mix of liver, heart, and belly pork), finely minced

200g pork mince

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 tsp dried sage

½ tsp thyme

Salt and pepper to taste

1 egg

75g fresh breadcrumbs

(Optional: caul fat for wrapping)

For the onion gravy:

2 medium onions, thinly sliced

1 tbsp plain flour

500ml beef or pork stock

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp oil or beef dripping

Method:

Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan) / 350°F / Gas Mark 4.

Mix the faggot ingredients together thoroughly in a large bowl. Shape into small balls (about the size of a golf ball). If using caul fat, wrap each ball to hold its shape.

Place on a baking tray and roast for 30–40 minutes until browned and cooked through.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a pan, and slowly cook the onions until soft and golden.

Stir in the flour, cook for a minute, then gradually add stock and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer until thickened.

Serve faggots hot, ladled with onion gravy, alongside mashed potatoes and peas.

Why Faggots Still Matter

Faggots are more than just a dish — they’re a symbol of resilience and resourcefulness, of communities making the best of what they had, and doing so with flavour and pride.

As Welsh food culture experiences a revival, these humble meatballs remind us that true culinary heritage doesn’t always come with polish — sometimes, it comes with onions, gravy, and generations of tradition.