To celebrate the japoly having risen (miracle like) from the dead (thank you Gimber Motors for resurrecting her, after being sentenced to death by the fxckwits at Volvo seemingly not understanding the need for a data backup for an engine management system when the battery goes flat) we (Mrs. SF and I, J and our dogs) booked a long weekend break in West Wales in a rather nice looking AirBnB.

We collectively decided to start the long weekend the (w)right way by stopping off for lunch on the way.

As Wright’ Food Emporium was on the way and pretty much at the mid – way point from Cardiff and our destination, it would have been rude to not stop there for lunch.

A modern day, not so wild west, staging post catering from those travelling out further West, it has a rather fine deli (supplies bought) and a short but  sweet food offering for lunch.

I was tempted by the chicken liver pâtè (love a good pâtè), but the inclusion of the C word in the accompanying chutney in November put me off it (I really am that petty). This left me with a (narrowed down by me) choice of the stew (chorizo and bean), the cubano and the quiche.

As I had a (rather good I thought) cubano the other week at Milk and Sugar, this warranted a comparison and in any event I have no problem eating multiple (good) cubanos.

An interesting (and dare I say unconventional) looking beast it was a big bugger (which assuaged my initial slight misgivings as to the £14.50 price tag)

Despite its unconventuonal appearance, it was a handsome beast under the bonnet.

A substantial slab of pork belly had a generous fat cap cumulating in an unexpected (in a pleasant way) bit of crackling. Not tooth shattered, but rather retaining crunch will a residual toothsome chew. The meat itself was caramelised on the outside with gratifying gnarly bits, but soft and yielding full on flavoured meat on the inside.

Good quality and plentiful ham, in the form of Myrddin Heritage ham, which seemed to have had (to my palate at least) a longer cure than you standard traditional York ham, and the cheese element in the form of earthy hafod cheddar. Nice trifecta here, but I must admit I would have preferred the cheese  (probably viewed as sacrilege for a cheese of hafod’s quality) melted.

Bread and butter pickles provided a nice and needed line of acidity (with all the richness from the meat and cheese) and a touch of sweetness, with a sriracha infused mayo adding just a touch of heat.

My only real complaints were the bread and a seeming paucity of mustard.

The ciabatta bread was quite dense, which made it all a touch heavy (particularly with the size of the fillings). This was compounded by the lack of any pressed application to heat to the bread, with the resultant  lack of that trademark crispy crunchy exterior to a cubano.

Was it a dead on trad. cubano? No, more a Welsh interpretation, so perhaps a GladysPughbano or (bearing in mind its location) a carmbano, but I enjoyed it none the less. Do think the bread could do with a rethink.

On seeing the menu, I would have bet my share of our house that Mrs. SF would have the quiche (£14.50) and as it happens my money was safe as true to form (I am pleased I know her so well, after a mere 30 odd years – she says it feels like 130 – living together) she ordered it.

Another big portion, with the quiche filling replete with crown prince squash, feta and red pepper

Mrs. SF enjoyed this, with the squash bringing a nice buttery nuttiness to proceedings and the feta providing it’s trademark, tangy ,saltiness.

Good, nicely short, short crust pastry case. Mrs  SF approved of the wholemeal base (I refer white, but as Mrs.SF pointed out I didn’t order it).

Only real complaints were side salad related. I thought the portion of siracha mayo was a tad excessive in size, when the leaves were already dressed (Mrs. SF said it was good for dipping the quiche in, but I thought it superfluous to requirements). Mrs. SF also felt that the abundant side salad could have done with a few toms and a bit of cucumber in top of the mixed leaves.

J had the ministrone (£9), which she declared one of the best she had ever had (I said Bachelors doesn’t count),

with a good ratio of veg to pasta. Courgette carrot, beans and cabbage/cavelo nero gave a mirage of healthiness which J quickly dispelled by adding an obscene  amount of gorwydd Caerphilly (an optional extra at £3) and slathering the good salty butter onto the wholemeal bread. All the veg. was well cooked, retaining just a little bit of bite and (although not traditional) J felt there was some meat in the mix (bacon she thought).

We shared a side of cauliflower pakoras (£6),

which came with a chunky tzatziki. Good  portion size and nice nuttiness to the cauli, but the coating could have been more robust on the seasoning front.

Drinks wise there is a decent selection,

with the Gran Cerdo a reliable drop

Booze was, however, off the menu as two of us were driving.

I went for the mulled apple juice (£5).

Nice fruity tartness to it, spiked with cinnamon and ginger, that was a perfect foil for the rich fattiness of the pork.

The verdict

Wright’s was a perfect pitstop for our journey out West to a rather lovely cottage.

we had booked for a long weekend.

The food to eat in is hearty and tasty and you can pick up all manner of goodies from the onsite deli,

with this supplementing the enough food and booze we had collectively bought to enable us to hunker down and survive a nuclear winner.

Whilst what I had may not have been a purist’s cubano, it was a compelling mix of pork, cheese and pickle which made for a fine sandwich.  Mrs  SF’s and J’s food was equally hearty and tasty.

A visit to this place is a no brainer if in this neck of the woods.

The details

Address: Llanarthney, Carmarthen SA32 8JU.

Website: https://shop.wrightsfood.co.uk/