sandwiches

Wright’s Food Emporium, is a cafe, deli, and wine store that’s rarely not busy – and it’s easy to see why

The UK is packed full of towns and villages with hidden gems, whether that’s cafes, restaurants, or bars. One such spot is Wright’s Food Emporium in Llanarthne.

Writing for WalesOnline, reporter Kathryn Williams has recalled a recent visit to this food outlet, sharing how it’s quickly become a must-visit destination. She wrote: “Wright’s Food Emporium is a cafe, deli, and wine store in the heart of the village and is rarely not busy, but even I’ll navigate their tight car park for one of their Cubano sandwiches.”

Wright’s opened at the start of 2014 by food industry experts Simon and Maryann Wright inside a former Brains pub – which was a prominent feature in the small village but had been yet another rural local to shut its doors.

Kathryn writes: “When you walk in you’re confronted with a dining space to the left but turn right and it’s business time. A bustling, well-stocked deli with fresh, local fruit and veg, wine, Welsh cheeses, meats and the best shelves of condiments west of Wally’s in Cardiff.

“But, you want to know about the sandwich. The Cubano is so good I don’t think I’ve seen it off the menu – which rotates weekly thanks to what’s fresh or fancied that week – in a good few years.”

So, what’s in a Cubano? At Wright’s, their ciabatta is generously filled with pork belly, Hafod cheese (from Lampeter), Myrddin Heritage ham (sourced just eight miles away in Tanerdy), pickles, Sriracha and mayo.

Kathryn continues: “The pleasing chew of the bread and pork belly is offset by the fresh pickles and sharp, creamy dart of the mix of mayo and Sriracha runs through each bite. And as you [me] try, but ultimately fail, to keep the whole shebang together, the bonus of the hidden ham comes through at the end a winner as you switch the sticky, dense and lovely pork belly to a side portion.

“It’s a bloody triumph of a sandwich – all in one go, and if or when it falls apart. The individual components work hard to stand out but also marry as harmoniously as they should.

“Wright’s Cubano is not the only winner on the ever-changing menu; you’ll do well do try their amazing salads that feature items from Blaencamel Farm, a past favourite of mine featuring charred nectarines, walnuts and Brefu Bach cheese all delicately decorated with edible flowers.

“Veggie sides come in shapes like aubergine fritters, patatas bravas, Welsh asparagus. If I really want to ensure a taste of Wright’s in the moment I usually insist my other half – or anyone else I can coerce – into sharing half a Cubano and half the salad. It’s a bloody win-win.

“And if you’ve already had lunch, don’t like sandwiches (not sure who those type of people are) and fancy coffee and cake, there’s still a reason to stop off at Wright’s. Earlier this year I bought one of their apple and cinnamon pastries and, not to be over the top, it was so heavenly up my street I’ve been waiting for it to be back on their Instagram ever since. The fact there is no photographic evidence of this proves how irresistible it was.”

Brits have been warned they could face a £5,000 fine and prosecution if they bring two common items back into the UK from their summer holiday – even if they were purchased at duty free

British holidaymakers have been cautioned they could be hit with a hefty £5,000 penalty and face prosecution for bringing back two everyday items from their summer getaway – even if purchased duty-free.

Travellers are now prohibited from returning with untreated meat and dairy products from overseas in fresh measures designed to halt the spread of Foot and Mouth disease.

This means it’s now against the law to transport lamb, pork, mutton and goat meat along with any products containing them, including sandwiches.

The restriction also covers cheese, chorizo, salami, serrano ham, yoghurt, butter, milk, and sandwiches featuring any of these components.

The prohibition extends to items that are packaged or purchased at airports, reports the Express.

Foot and Mouth disease is described as a “highly contagious viral disease” capable of killing cattle, sheep, pigs, and other cloven-hoofed livestock.

The infection can be transmitted through animal products and spreads rapidly, authorities have cautioned.

A recent surge of cases affecting Hungary, Austria and Germany has prompted the UK’s chief veterinarian to urge Britons to adhere to the fresh regulations.

The illness can also trigger catastrophic economic consequences, with the Foot and Mouth crisis in 2001 estimated to have cost £15 billion in disease control expenses alone.

Any passengers discovered with the prohibited goods must hand them over at the border, or risk having them confiscated and destroyed.

In certain circumstances, individuals could face a £5,000 fine in England, or prosecution throughout Great Britain. The ban, introduced in April, is set to remain until the “personal import of affected products no longer poses a significant biosecurity risk to GB”.

However, the restrictions do not apply to those arriving into Great Britain from Northern Ireland, Jersey, Guernsey, or the Isle of Man.

Christine Middlemiss, the UK’s chief veterinary officer, has urged holidaymakers to help protect farmers. She said: “I know it is disappointing not to be able to bring back produce from your holidays, but please avoid temptation.”

Middlemiss further added: “This highly contagious disease causes considerable suffering to livestock and has a devastating economic and personal impact on farmers, who lose their prized animals.”

On 24 July, Baroness Hayman, the biosecurity minister, said: “We are asking the public to take this seriously. Do not bring prohibited animal or plant products into the country-doing so puts farmers’ livelihoods at risk.”

She also mentioned that the ban reflects a “clear determination to safeguard our borders” and “maintaining the integrity of our biosecurity against Foot and Mouth disease is essential”.

Symptoms of Foot and Mouth disease vary depending on the animal, but in cattle the main signs are sores and blisters on the feet, mouth and tongue, a fever, reluctance to feed, and lameness. Meanwhile, in pigs and sheep, the signs are usually lameness and blistering.

Farmers who suspect their livestock may have Foot and Mouth disease are urged to report it immediately by dialling 03000 200 301 in England, 0300 303 8268 in Wales, or contacting the local Field Services Office in Scotland.

BRITAIN’S most unhealthy high street sandwiches have now been revealed.

Brits will be shocked to know that most of their favourite lunchtime meal deals have more saturated fat and sugar than fast food and desserts.

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Most of them also have more calories than McDonald’s cheeseburgers and a bar of DairyMilk chocolate.

Leading the list of unhealthy sandwiches, Pret’s Posh Cheddar & Pickle Baguette sandwich contains a whopping 643 calories.

That is more calories than two McDonald’s cheeseburgers combined, which come at 295 calories each.

Even a Big Mac has almost 150 fewer calories than Pret’s flagship lunchtime meal.

Meanewhile, Waitrose‘s No1 The Perfect Ploughman’s Cornish Cheddar Sandwich comes 13.1g of saturated fat – making it one of the unhealthiest items on the list.

This is again more than two McDonald’s Cheeseburgers combined, which come with just 5.4g of fat each, according to a DailyMail analysis.

Next comes M&S’s Farmhouse Cheddar Cheese Ploughman’s sandwich with 11.3g of saturated fat.

To give some context, a Big Mac burger has just 8.8g of fat.

Both these sandwiches contain more than half of the NHS‘s daily saturated fat limit for women, which is 20g.

When it came to unhealthy sugar content, Sainsbury’s Brie Bacon & Chilli Chutney Sandwich topped the charts with 19.7g sugar.

To put that into perspective, one would need to have two KitKat chocolate bars with 10.3g of sugar in each to beat the Sainsbury’s sandwich.

M&S’s All Day Breakfast Sandwich – a popular choice of meal on the go – has almost 10.1g of sugar.

That’s slightly less than a Krispy Kreme Original Glazed Doughnut that comes with 12g of sugar.

NHS recommends that adults only consume a maximum of 30g of sugar each day to lead a healthy life.

Most of the sandwiches sold on Britain’s high streets are also far saltier than fast food.

For instance, Pret’s Ham & Grevé Baguette contained 3.85g of salt, making it saltier than four large portions of McDonald’s fries (0.82g of salt each).

And surprisingly, even M&S’s Farmhouse Cheddar Cheese Ploughman contained 1.78g – slightly more than two large McDonald’s fries.

Adults are advised to consume less than 6g of salt per day, according to the NHS.

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But as most of the supermarket sandwiches are unhealthy options for lunch, Brits can choose to swap them for healthier meals.

For example, a Cheese Ploughman’s sandwich from Boots comes at just 429 calories, making it the healthiest option so far.

And if you feel fancy, you can also try Itsu’s King Prawn Rice Box salad, which comes at just 407 calories.

It’s a filling option thanks to wholegrain brown rice, veggies, prawns and seeds.

Meanwhile, a Tuna Melt Panini from Starbucks packs in an impressive 28g of protein and has just 443 calories.

But if you are really conscious about your health and want to keep things below 400 calories, then Greggs‘ Pesto and Mozzarella Pasta can be your saviour.

This tasty option from Greggs is just  375 calories, even though its packed with cheese.

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