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Cuisine of Monmouthshire

"The First Meeting of the Hermit and the Traveller", from the book The First Principles of Good Cookery by Lady Llanover, first published in 1867. The story of the meeting forms the basis of the cookery book.

The cuisine of Monmouthshire is historically associated with Lady Augusta Hall, also known as Lady Llanover, who published one of the first Welsh cookery books, First Principles of Good Cookery (1867). The book uses a fictional Welsh hermit to give culinary advice to a visiting guest who is travelling though Wales.

The book's historical significance was noted by Bobby Freeman who, in 1991, arranged for the book to be republished by the Brefi Press together with an introduction explaining its historical significance and the background of Lady Llanover's life.[1][2]

Lady Llanover championed Welsh cuisine in the kitchens of her home at Llanover House and during her lifetime was famous for her hospitality, where the following motto hung above the dining room:[3]

Da i bawb cynhildeb yw
A thad i gyfoeth ydyw

Thrift is beneficial to all
And is the father of wealth

Gilli Davies notes that although some of the recipes in First Principles of Good Cookery may have a Welsh origin, others originated from Lincolnshire where Lady Llanover was brought up.[4] Monmouthshire has three main agricultural areas. The central and eastern part of the county is made up of the large valleys of the rivers Severn, Wye, and Usk and the land in this part of the county is fertile and of good quality with gently undulating land suitable for market gardens and vineyards. The southern part of the county is bounded by the Bristol Channel and includes areas of moorland and marsh, such as Wentlooge and Caldicot. This area was once owned by the monks of Goldcliff Priory who drained the land and built seawalls to prevent the sea flooding the land. The northern and western part of the county is made up of uplands with shallow soils of low nutrient value which are suitable for hill farming. This area includes the valleys of the rivers Ebbw and Sirhowy to the west and the Black Mountains to the north.[5][6]

According to Davies, Monmouthshire has been successful in expanding the breadth of its food production into areas such as viticulture, horticulture and organic farming. In addition, food marketing initiatives have been created for specialist producers which have thrived, according to Davies, due to good transport links and the close proximity of the county to the markets of England. This helps in food distribution and in the development of a high-quality restaurant trade, with the latter having developed due to the efforts of some key individuals. Davies comments that there is "a rare and appealing quality to the food in Monmouthshire".[7]

  1. ^ Llanover, Lady: First Principles of Good Cookery, page 22. Wales: Brefi Press, 1991. ISBN 978-0948537356
  2. ^ Taruschio, Franco & Ann: Leaves from the Walnut Tree, page 63. London: Pavilion Books Limited, 1995. ISBN 978-1857935707
  3. ^ Freemen, Bobby: Traditional Food From Wales, page 19. New York: Hippocrene Books Inc., 1997.ISBN 0781805279
  4. ^ Davies, A Taste of Wales, page 74
  5. ^ Davies, Gilli: A Taste of Wales, page 22. London: Pavilion Books Limited, 1995. ISBN 1-85793-2935
  6. ^ The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland, 1868
  7. ^ Davies, A Taste of Wales, page 70

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