Thiswasn’tthepair’sonlyinnovativeidea.Spentgrain,
a wasteproductfromthebeer-makingprocess,is sentto
a localfarmerforhisdairycowsandthemilkyieldhas
increasedeversince.Everyday,Monty’sprovidethecows
at Ifor’sWelshWagyufarmwitharoundthreetofourpints
ofbeereach.Talkaboutdrinkingtillthecowscomehome.
If you’remoreofa winelover,takea tripjustoverthe
Welshbordertoa small,family-runvineyard.KerryVale
Vineyardis situatedontheoldRomanfortofPentreheyling
threemilessouthofMontgomeryandcomprisesof6,000
vines.It wassetupin 2010andis runbyGeoffandJune
Ferguson,theirdaughterNadineandson-in-lawDan.
Thevineyardis anexcellentspottospendanafternoon
andtheyhosttourandtastingpackageswithcheeseand
winepairingsorafternoontea,whichareperfectforgifting.
If you’rethedesignateddriverandcanonlytryone
wine,makesureit’stheShropshireLady.It’sa lovelydry,
crispwhitewinewithnotesofmelonandgreenapple,
availabletoorderonlineandis featuredin therecipe
(right)fora lemonthymeandbutternutsquashrisotto.
WhatMidWalesoffersin tastylocalproduceit matches
withstunningwalkingroutesandhistoriclandmarks.
Exhausted,hungryandperhapsa littletipsy,theNag’s
HeadInnis a greatplacetoretirefortheevening.This
friendly B&B was awarded 2018-2019 Pub of the Year forWalesat theAAHospitalityAwards. Roomsin the
GradeII-listedcoachinginnfeaturebeautifulexposed
beamsandfurnishingsfromtherenownedWelshdesigner
LauraAshley.Therestauranthasa Rosetteawardfor
culinaryexcellenceandis a greatplacetosamplesome
ofthebestlocalfarewithouthavingtodoallthelegwork.
Whetherit’ssausagesforyourfullEnglish,orthehoney
usedtomarinadea supremeofchicken,the menu
showcasessomedelightfulproducers.
Fordinner,expectcomfortingclassicslikea mouth-
wateringlytenderWelshlambrumpwithbutterypomme
fondant,alongsidemoderndishes such as the garden
peaandgarlicpannacotta.
Monty’smakesanotherappearanceonthewell-crafted
drinkslist,alongsidebeersfromotherlocalbreweries:
ThreeTuns,Clun,WoodsandHobsons.Thewinelistis
createdin closecollaborationwiththewinemerchants
Tannersandthere’sa vastspiritselection,withWelshgins
Cygnet,DyfiandGWYRallearningthemselvesa spot.
Aftera nightrestingunderthesoftwhitelinens,fuel
upwithonefinallocalfeast– a scrumptious ‘full Welsh’
breakfast,beforeyouhittheroad.
Onethingis forcertain:youwon’tleaveMontgomery
feelinghungry.Onceyou’verolledyourselfoutofthetiny
town, we’re certain you’ll be craving to come back.Winegrapesgrowinginthe Welsh
sunshine at Kerry ValeGOURMET GETAWAY