I went to Beaujolais Day
IT’S as two Welsh women with a drinks trolley come through the carriage calling everyone “babes” that I know I’m not in London anymore.
Instead, I on a train from Paddington to Swansea, where I’m headed to experience the most glamorous event in the Welsh city’s social calendar.
Called Beaujolais Day, it’s a celebration of the first chance to try the new Beaujolais wine – the Beaujolais Nouveau – from the year’s harvest.
French law dictates that Beaujolais Noveau can only be sold from the third Thursday of November – and Swansea has earned a reputation for marking the occasion in style.
The annual event sees Swansea’s bars buzzing, and its hotels, restaurants and beauty salons fully booked up to a year in advance.
I’ve been lucky enough to grab a room at Travelodge Swansea Central, which is in stumbling distance from all the action.
Yet I’m checking in the night before as I need to be on time for my sought-after salon appointment, with the standard of glam for Beaujolais Day off the scale.
“I’ve been doing make-up since 6am,” said make-up artist Morgan Thomas at The Colour Lounge, who started her day seeing clients at home, before heading to the salon for back-to-back appointments all day.
I’ve heard that in Swansea, Beaujolais Day is bigger than Christmas Day – is this true?
“Beaujolais, Christmas – it’s all mental!” says Morgan, who tells me: “Everyone wants full glam, lots of glitter, and heavy lashes.”
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I wasn’t been lucky enough to snap up a slot with Morgan, but salon owner Benjamin Aldridge (aka Benjamin Stylist) has squeezed me in for a bouncy blowdry and pin curls.
My hair is washed and dried, then curled and individual sections are pinned to my head, using Kirby grips.
This is so the curls don’t drop before I go out, because my next port of call was to return to my hotel to get ready.
You’d think I’d feel self-conscious about walking through Swansea’s streets looking like Coronation Street cleaner Hilda Ogden.
However, nobody batted an eyelid, so I guess it was pretty standard to have left the salon like this on Beaujolais Day.
Having searched the hashtag #BeaujolaisDaySwansea on Instagram to look at posts from previous years, I had also been struck by the girls’ gorgeous dresses, which would not have been out of place in a Miss
World contest.
So back at the Travelodge, I squeezed into a Herve Leger bandage dress that I’d snapped up in TK Maxx ten years ago.
A bodycon dress isn’t the ideal attire for eating a slap-up meal, but the Swansea ladies had set the bar high and I could hardly head out in my jogging bottoms especially for an evening at Morgans, a Grade II listed, luxury four star hotel, and possibly the swankiest spot in Swansea.
Arriving at Morgans in the late afternoon, the place was so packed already that I could barely make my way across the dance floor to the staircase for dinner.
However, when I do make it to the dining room, it’s worth it, as the room was fully decorated with white tablecloths, red napkins and chairs decked out with gold bows.
As soon as I’m seated, a waitress brought me a glass of Prosecco before my first taste of Vichyssoise soup.
Pronounced veeshy-swarze (rhyming with cars) the soup is a clever choice for a Beaujolais Day dinner in Swansea, as it nods to both French and Welsh culture.
Created and named by a French chef, the main ingredient of Vichyssoise soup is a Welsh national emblem – the leek.
For the main, I enjoyed braised beef daube with bourguignon-style jus, carrots, green beans and mashed potato, combining a Burgundy dish with Welsh beef, followed by a lemon tart.
After eating, it was back downstairs to the busy nightclub area, despite it only being 7pm, still hours before a nightclub would usually open.
But what do the locals really think of the big day?
One of the first people I chat to is Rebecca, 35, who lives in Swansea and has been doing Beaujolais Day every year since she was 18.
She tells me it’s a family tradition, explaining: “It’s when we all get together for a catch-up before Christmas – and it’s adult time away from the kids.”
For Rebecca, Beaujolais Day started at 9am when she got her hair and
make-up done at her aunty’s Swansea salon, Gemma Davies Artistry of Hair.
“Six of us girls had wine and croissants in the salon while we got ready, and the boys went to Trams cafe for breakfast.”
After three hours of hair and make-up, the girls got changed in the salon and came straight to Morgans at lunch, spending the entire day there until their 10pm cabs home.
Like many people, Rebecca is drinking AU Vodka which she says is a Swansea tradition – the brand is co-founded by Swansea boy Charlie Morgan, son of Morgans Hotel owner and Swansea City Football Club
director, Martin Morgan.
The big question – did she drink any Beaujolais?
While they ordered it with her meal, she admitted it “wasn’t very nice, but its tradition”.
I also chatted to Michelle, 55, who lives in Swansea and is her first time celebrating Beaujolais Day in four years.
She said: “It’s the best day of the year! It’s wonderful to get together, and a lovely day out for all ages.
“Everyone dresses up and has a nice time.”
It’s not just Rebecca who wasn’t a fan of the famous wine – Michelle said they were sticking to the Sauvignon wine and gin.
Her friend Linda chipped in: “I’ve tried it before and it’s vile.”
Abbie, 28, who’s spending Beaujolais Day in Swansea for the first time, after previously celebrating in Cardiff, agreed too.
“I don’t like it,” she explained as she swapped her shoes for a pair of hotel slippers.
Although I’ve never seen this before when I’ve been out, Abbie’s wasn’t the only one wearing slippers, so perhaps it’s a life hack that’s exclusive to Swansea.
Jealous of Abbie’s comfy feet, I decided to call it a night and head back to my hotel via Wind Street, which is where everyone goes out, spotting long queues outside each bar.
I was glad to get back to the Travelodge where Alison on reception offered to make me a hot chocolate.
It was my final drink of many that day… none of which included a glass of Beaujolais after all.