As sustainable tea producers proudly based in Lampeter, Wales, we are very fond of a Welsh Cake or slice (or two) of Bara Brith with our cup of tea. Lucky for us, we’ve been on the road this Summer attending many food festivals across Wales and meeting so many local Welsh food and drink producers who are creating innovative products right here on our doorsteps.
This time on the road has us reflecting, so we thought we’d share with you our favourite Bara Brith recipe, made with our Welsh Black tea, of course, and tell you why we love being a part of the abundant food and drink community in Wales.
Our tried and tested Bara Brith recipe made using Tidy Tea’s Welsh Black Tea blend
When we first made our Bara Brith loaves at home, we were inspired by the recipe shared by Visit Wales, so if you are looking for inspiration for different loaves to try, we highly recommend checking it out.
For our Tidy Tea Bara Brith Loaf, you’ll need:
- 450g of mixed dried fruit
- 400ml of our Welsh Black Tea blend, prepared and hot brewed for 5 minutes
- 275g of self-raising flour
- 1 teaspoon of mixed spice
- The zest of 1 orange
- ½ teaspoon of cinnamon
- 125g of dark brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- Honey to glaze
If you prefer a decaffeinated blend, our decaf tea, Delhi Decaf, is the perfect alternative here!
To make your Bara Brith, follow these steps:
- Brew 3 Welsh Black tea pyramids in 400ml of hot water for at least 5 minutes for a strong brew.
- Remove your pyramids and pop them into your compost bin.
- Add your tea into a mixing bowl along with your dried fruit.
- Cover and leave to soak for a minimum of 8 hours.
- Once soaked, preheat your oven to 180°C and line a loaf tin with baking paper.
- In your bowl of mixed fruit and tea, sift in the flour and add your spices and orange zest.
- Stir in your large egg and mix until well combined.
- Pop into your oven for 45 minutes / 1 hour until risen and not wobbly!
- Leave to cool entirely and glaze with your favourite Welsh honey (we like Gwenyn Gruffydd)
- Pop in a tin and consume within 1 week
We love to serve ours sliced with a generous helping of Welsh salted butter on top and with a cup of our teas too, whether you fancy a classic cup of Welsh Black or our Moroccan peppermint tea.
A recipe is only as good as what you put into it, and we have loved championing Welsh businesses through this Welsh classic. Having met so many fantastic indie makers and long-standing producers at food festivals, including Lampeter Food Festival and with the Indie Collectives at Street Food Circus’s Summer Fete this summer, we know first hand how much love and care goes into what they are creating for their customers.
So, next time you bake a loaf of Bara Brith, remember how traditionally it was made to be something that brought a community together to share around the table and by shopping local you’ll be living up to that legacy.
Shop local; your local suppliers and your taste buds will thank you for it!
For a video of how we made this, head to our Instagram or TikTok and make sure you’re following along for more like this.