Welsh Rarebit Fortnight Launches in Wales

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Welsh rarebit is now firmly in the spotlight thanks to Rarebit Fortnight, a two-week campaign bringing together independent cafés and restaurants across Wales in support of a shared cause.

Running from 21 February to 7 March, Rarebit Fortnight sees businesses across south and west Wales serving their own takes on the iconic dish, with a donation from every rarebit sold going directly to Welsh food charity Cegin y Bobl. Timed to sit around St David’s Day but extending well beyond it, the campaign celebrates Welsh food culture while actively supporting hands-on community cookery projects across the country.

From classic rarebit to creative twists

Rather than sticking to a single interpretation, Rarebit Fortnight encourages chefs to approach Welsh rarebit in ways that reflect their own menus, ingredients and cooking styles. The result is a varied and often inventive spread of dishes, spanning everything from traditional plates to modern rarebit twists.

Specials include leek and Galmesan cheese rarebit gratin with chorizo crumb, smoked pollack rarebit tarts, chestnut mushroom rarebit toasties, and Welsh onion soup topped with a rarebit croûte. Across cafés, bakeries, pubs and restaurants, the campaign highlights just how versatile rarebit can be when it is treated as a dish worthy of attention, rather than an afterthought.

Supporting cooking skills at community level

At the heart of Rarebit Fortnight is its support for Cegin y Bobl, a Welsh charity working to rebuild the nation’s relationship with food by equipping people with the skills and confidence to cook from scratch.

Since January 2025, Cegin y Bobl has trained more than 1,000 people face-to-face, served over 3,000 meals, and expanded its programmes into five Welsh counties. Its work spans primary schools, early years cook clubs, family sessions, teacher training and adult community cookery courses, all rooted in the belief that good food should be achievable, everyday and shared.

Jonathan Woolway, Chef Proprietor at The Shed in Swansea, explains why the campaign matters:

“I’m delighted to lend my support to the first ever Rarebit Fortnight, all in aid of getting the nation cooking. As a chef who has returned to my home town of Swansea, I’m passionate about Welsh food, our amazing fresh produce, and spreading essential cooking skills far-and-wide in our communities. Together, we’re sending a powerful message about the power of food to bring people together and bring about real change.”

Cegin y Bobl co-founder, broadcaster and restaurateur Simon Wright adds:

“Cegin y Bobl’s community cookery workshops are powered by the skills of amazing chefs from independent hospitality in Wales. By sharing their top tips and know-how, they are empowering the nation to cook delicious, nutritious food.”

Meanwhile, co-founder and author Carwyn Graves points to the cultural weight of the dish itself:

“The rarebit is an iconic Welsh dish, its history linked to our very sense of nationhood. This fun campaign helps drive our bigger cause – making sure everyone, everywhere, has the skills and confidence to cook food from scratch.”

A campaign that extends beyond St David’s Day

Although Rarebit Fortnight is anchored around St David’s Day, it very deliberately runs beyond 1 March, giving diners plenty of time to seek out participating venues and sample what’s on offer. Several businesses are keeping rarebit on their menus beyond the core fortnight, reflecting both customer demand and the dish’s enduring appeal.

In Cardiff, The Welsh Cheese Company Deli & Bar is going all out by offering a dedicated lunchtime rarebit menu throughout March, serving both classic and special versions made with Welsh cheese and local accompaniments, with a 25% contribution from every sale going to Cegin y Bobl. Try the Caws Teifi Mature Gouda PGI Carmarthen Ham rarebit for a tasty twist on the classic – it’s delicious!

We also enjoyed Waterloo Tea’s rendition of the classic Welsh rarebit, a long-standing menu favourite made with Assam black tea, leek, cheddar & house pickles on Alex Gooch’s sourdough.

Where to eat Welsh rarebit during Rarebit Fortnight

Here is the current list of businesses taking part.

Cardiff

• Asador 44, Quay Street
• Hard Lines Coffee (28 Feb – 14 Mar)
• Milkwood
• Ogof
• The Lansdowne
• Waterloo Tea Penylan
• Waterloo Tea Penarth
• Waterloo Tea Wyndham Arcade
• Waterloo Tea Whitchurch Road
• The Gwaelod y Garth Inn
• Heathcock
• Heathcock Kitchen & Deli
• The Welsh Cheese Company Deli & Bar (lunchtime rarebit menu, 1–31 March)

Vale of Glamorgan

• Hare & Hounds Aberthin
• Hare & Hounds Bakery

Swansea

• The Shed, Kings Road

Carmarthenshire

• Pitchfork and Provisions
• Cegin Diod
• Wright’s
• Dexters
• Shire Coffee at Hywl

Ceredigion

• Medina

Pembrokeshire

• Top Joe’s Narberth
• Top Joe’s Narberth Hwb
• Top Joe’s Tenby
• Llys Meddyg
• Tides Kitchen & Wine Bar
• Wholefoods of Newport

Powys

• The Felin Fach Griffin
• Beacons Farm Shop

View the full up-to-date list on Cegin y Bobl’s website here.

Welsh rarebit has always been more than melted cheese on toast. It’s a dish built on good produce, straightforward technique and the kind of cooking that brings people together around a table. Rarebit Fortnight taps into that familiarity while giving it renewed purpose.

By choosing a rarebit at one of the participating venues, you’re not just supporting independent hospitality – you’re helping fund practical cookery skills in communities across Wales. It’s a reminder that food culture doesn’t only live in restaurant kitchens; it starts at home, in schools and in shared community spaces.

If you’re planning where to eat next, why not make it somewhere taking part? Whether you stick to a classic version or try one of the more inventive twists, there’s something quietly satisfying about knowing your lunch is doing a little more than filling you up.

Have you tried any of the rarebit dishes taking part in Rarebit Fortnight yet? I’d love to hear where you’ve been – or which spots are still on your list.

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