Made from cooked laver seaweed, this traditional food is most famously enjoyed along the coasts of Pembrokeshire, Gower, and Ceredigion, where it has been harvested for generations.
It’s often called “Welshman’s caviar” — and for good reason. Rich in iodine, iron, and umami flavour, laverbread has long been a prized part of the Welsh seaside diet.
A Coastal Tradition
Laverbread is made by boiling laver (Porphyra seaweed) for several hours until it turns into a dark, soft purée. It’s then either eaten cold, rolled in oats and fried, or stirred into dishes for a salty, rich depth.
Miners would take it to work with bread and bacon — a simple, sustaining meal packed with minerals. Today, it’s a feature of full Welsh breakfasts and gourmet menus alike.
Regional Variations
Gower Peninsula
Traditionally served rolled in oats and fried with bacon and cockles.
Often used in breakfast fry-ups or on toast with butter.
Pembrokeshire
Sometimes mixed with lemon juice and used as a savoury spread.
Also added to seafood stews and soups.
Modern Welsh Kitchens
Used in risottos, pasta, and even laverbread-stuffed mushrooms.
Blended with butter or cream cheese as a unique condiment.
Traditional Oat-Rolled Laverbread Cakes
Ingredients:
200g cooked laverbread (available fresh or tinned)
1 small onion, finely chopped (optional)
50g medium oats (plus extra for coating)
Salt and pepper
A knob of butter or splash of oil for frying
Method:
Mix the laverbread, oats, and onion together in a bowl. Season well.
Shape into small patties or balls.
Roll in additional oats to coat.
Heat a little oil or butter in a pan and fry for 2–3 minutes each side, until crisp and golden.
Serve hot, traditionally with fried bacon, cockles, and toast.
Modern Serving Suggestions
Spread on sourdough toast with a poached egg.
Stir into a bowl of hot buttery mashed potatoes.
Use to enrich seafood chowder or risotto.
Blend with butter and lemon juice as a topping for grilled fish.
A Salty Bite of Welsh Identity
Laverbread isn’t just food — it’s heritage from the tidepools of Wales. It connects us to coastal traditions, to the rhythm of the sea, and to generations who knew the value of sustainable, foraged nutrition.
If you’re reconnecting with your Welsh roots, don’t shy away from this bold, nutritious seaweed — it’s a true taste of place.
Coming next: Welsh Rarebit — The Golden Crown of Pub Grub