Cegin Garth -   Gareth’s Kitchen

 

On the 16th November 13 members of the association and friends attended a wonderful day at Cegin Gareth, Lampeter, Ceredigion.

The itinerary for the day was a cookery demonstration in the morning then lunch,  to eat what had been made, followed by flower arranging in the afternoon.
Gareth is a chef and a flower arranger, being well known in Wales appearing on S4C since 1999 as a tv chef.

The theme for the day was Christmas recipes and flower arrangements celebrating the power of the petal. Coffee finished we went down to the demonstration room.
The food preparation session encompassed five items, the first one being a white chocolate cheesecake.  Next recipe was a spiced Christmas garland made with a soft dough filled with mixed fruit soaked in rum and marzipan.   Third demonstration was tempting turkey tarts.  Of course, the obligatory mince pies were next.  However, these had a twist they were finished off with a chocolate brownie mixture.   Last demonstration was a quick and easy pickle.



Gareth was the perfect host with a wonderful sense of humour. Throughout the morning he regaled us with stories and cooking tips.
Following the demonstrations, we adjourned to the dining room where we were served lunch using the food that had prepared in the morning.   It was a fantastic meal with soup to start followed by turkey tartlets, they tasted delicious and were accompanied by various salads.  The piece de resistance was the white chocolate cheesecake accompanied by a strawberry and mango juice jelly.

In the afternoon, Gareth demonstrated how to make four different Christmas arrangements ranging from a tall red and green display to a teardrop, and basket display.   He made it look so easy but stunning.



After the flower arranging session there was coffee with Christmas garland and mince pies.  A raffle was held with the winners receiving one of the flower arrangements.
The day was filled with chatter, questions and loads of laughter, a truly unique day full of wonderful memories.    It was truly a foodie day with lots of delicious food to eat.
 As such I would like to say a big Thank You to Gareth for providing us with such a wonderful day and unique experience.   

I think we might have to return for one of his other cookery experiences in the future.

Lt Col (Retd) Valmai Davies