A two-day festival is coming to Swansea with some big-name chefs, live music and a lot of fun
Croeso in association with Tomato Energy will bring the feel-good factor to the city centre with its varied programme of entertainment. Swansea’s festival celebrating all things Welsh, Croeso, will be packing lots of excitement into the city centre when it returns on Friday 28 February and Saturday 1 March.
This free event is brought to you by Swansea Council, in association with Tomato Energy and supported by Food & Drink Wales.
Visitors heading to Croeso can expect to enjoy an exciting line-up of entertainment and cooking demonstrations that will get taste buds tingling. What’s more, it is free to attend, so you can just wander around the city centre venues and tap into what you fancy.
Food and drink is at the heart of Croeso. Mooch about the stalls and you’ll find some of the best local produce from traders across Wales, including the food and drink marquee sponsored by Nathaniel Cars.
However, if you need some culinary inspiration, you must catch one of the cooking demonstrations by some of the UK’s top chefs and home cooks, sure to whet your appetite! Find out below who'll be cooking up a storm this year at Croeso;
Friday 28th March
-
11:00am Georgie Grasso (Great British Bake off Winner)
Georgie is a proud Welsh-Italian and lives in a farmhouse with her family as well as ten hens, two ducks, two dogs, and a cat. She has been on quite the journey already winning the Great British Bake Off and can't wait for plenty more adventures this year.
-
12:00pm Matt Waldron (Private Dining)
Matt started his career in a small country house hotel named The Glen yr Afon in Usk, completing his apprenticeship in cooking. His interest in food science lead him to complete a degree in culinary arts and food science in The University of West London.
Staying in London Matt worked his way through some very established restaurants with Helene Darroze at The Connaught Hotel being his most influential. Matt has now launched his own business. Matt Waldron Private Dining.
He travels across the U.K. creating memorable dining experiences, designing bespoke menus and hosting special evenings in the homes, holiday homes and at events of those who would like a private chef experience like no other.
-
1:00pm Sam Rust (The Grove, Narberth)
Around 10 years ago I fell in love with the industry properly, deciding to start my career then, a little later than most. Since then I have worked my way up within restaurants, pubs and hotels in south wales. My highlights being, The Walnut Tree, the Beach House, Oxwich bay and where I work now The Grove of Narberth.
Learning from these Michelin star/4 rosette establishments I made my way to the semi finals of Craft Guild National Chef of the Year 2024 and 4th place in the national Welsh chef of the year 2025, both of which I am looking forward to competing in again in the next year. I hope to stay in the industry in Wales ending with opening my own restaurant with my wife (the manager of the beach house) focusing on zero waste and using locally sourced, Welsh ingredient's in the future.“
-
2:00pm Leo Niehorster (Coast Cafe)
Leo created Queer Flavours after working in the restaurant industry and learning how old fashioned the values were and how restricted the demographic of chefs was. After being fired for “insubordination,” they started their own company where they put on inclusive events and created community around raising awareness of diversity issues in the restaurant industry. Leo is inspired by stories and loves creating experiences for their guests - they will be cooking a dish that was part of a supper club where they created Welsh and Mexican fusion food.
-
3:00pm Chris Blakeborough-Pownell (Selwyn's Seafoods, Swansea)
Join us for a special St. David’s Day celebration as we dive into the rich heritage of Welsh seafood with Selwyn’s Seafoods, a proud family-run business with over 50 years of history. Renowned as Wales’ finest producer of cockles and Laverbread, Selwyn’s continues to champion these traditional delicacies.
Owners Ashley and Kate Jones will take us on a journey through the fascinating history of the Welsh cockles and Laverbread industry, sharing how their business has grown while staying true to its roots.
Bringing these incredible ingredients to life, Chris Blakeborough-Pownell, chef patron of The Gower Inn, will showcase a delicious dish using Selwyn’s finest produce. With a lifelong passion for food and a 2022 win on TV’s Swansea’s Come Dine with Me, Chris turned his dream into reality by opening his own restaurant—celebrating Gower’s rich local bounty on every plate.
Don’t miss this unique opportunity to experience the best of Welsh cuisine, history, and passion—all in honor of St. David’s Day!
Saturday 1st March
-
11:00am Raj Chowdery (Raj's Kitchen)
Raj Chowdhury, founder and head chef of Raj Kitchen. Since it’s opening in December 2023 with his wife Enakshi, Raj Chowdhury has carved out a name for himself and his restaurant, which overlooks the historic Swansea Castle.
In 2024, He was crowned Wales Chef of the Year at the Asian Restaurant & Takeaway Awards (ARTAs). A milestone in his culinary journey.
Raj will be preparing a classic Indian dish using Welsh produce during his cookery demonstration.
12:00pm Motley Pie
Hey everyone! Welcome to Motley Pie, where we whip up handcrafted pies, 7 days a week! We take inspo from my time spent in Australia & New Zealand as well as the amazing produce you can find right on our doorstep here in Wales!
At Motley Pie, we reckon pies are more than just a snack - they’re a whole experience! We work with a whole heap of local suppliers, with a focus on quality & sustainability.
During this demo, we’ll show you how to make these cracking pies from scratch, share our best tips for picking the freshest ingredients, and explore how versatile, fun and easy savoury pies can be to make!
1:00pm Shauna (Hang Fire BBQ)
Samantha Evans and Shauna Guinn started ‘Hang Fire’ 12 years ago after a 6-month BBQ pilgrimage to the Southern US states, immersing themselves in communities and learning the culture of slow and low BBQ. Their energy, passion and in-depth knowledge of all aspects of barbecue has seen them go on to be lead ambassadors for outdoor cooking internationally. The pair have won many awards for their sustainable, ethical cooking, a highlight being previous winners of Observer Food Monthly ‘Best Restaurant’, winners of Slow Foods UK ‘Best Restaurant’ and previous winners BBC Food and Farming Awards ‘Best Street food’.
They created and hosted their own BBC One cooking series ‘Sam & Shauna’s Big Cookout’, regular appearances on Saturday Kitchen and Masterchef The Professionals. They are judges for the BBC Food & Farming Awards and The European Street Food Awards. They host, cook and compare many demo stages and fire pit areas across the UK’s most popular festivals every year. They are the writers of the internationally bestselling cookbook ‘Hang Fire; Adventures in American BBQ’ and run Wales' first BBQ cookery school at their home in Llantwit Major. Join Shauna at Croeso!2:00pm Jonathan Woolway (The Shed)
Jonathan Woolway; Executive Chef and Co-Owner The Shed Restaurant, Swansea.
After 16 years working alongside the legendary Fergus Henderson as Chef Director at the globally renowned St. JOHN Restaurant Group in London, Swansea native Jonathan returned to his hometown to open the Shed Restaurant in February 2024. Inclusion in the Michelin Guide, Good Food Guide and SquareMeal’s top 100 UK Restaurants (number 48) swiftly followed alongside glowing reviews from the Guardian, Telegraph and Financial Times amongst others.
3:00pm Stacey (Koala Tree) Cocktail Making Demo
Koala Tree are an independent coffee, cocktail and comedy bar who have a diverse range of events from comedy, hiphop, live music of all genres in a sophisticated environment. Don't miss them at Croeso 2025!
There's plenty more in store at Croeso, where we celebrate all things welsh - find full event information online, and we'll see you there.
Thank you to our sponsors
Tomato Energy – Main sponsor
Tomato Energy is a pioneering energy company shaking up the domestic energy sector. Through hyper-personalised smart tariffs and a drive to make sustainability accessible, Tomato Energy is revolutionising the way people get their electricity. As well as tailored tariffs, Tomato Energy offer homeowner’s solar panels and battery storage on a fixed cost basis, with no upfront costs for the equipment and fixed bills for 5 years.
For more information, visit Tomato Energy - UK Electricity provider - www.tomato.energy
Nathaniel Cars - Food & Drink Marquee Sponsor
Nathaniel Cars is proud to sponsor the Food & Drink Marquee at the Croeso Event again this year.
Nathaniel Cars was established over 40 years ago and has helped thousands of customers with their motoring needs over this time. We are a main MG dealer with showrooms in Bridgend, Cardiff, Cwmbran and last year we opened our 4th showroom in Swansea (Clos Llyn Cwm, SA6 8QY). We also have over 350 used cars in group stock, so we have something to suit everyone’s needs.
Come along and visit our stand in Oxford Street during the Croeso Event, where you can chat to our staff and take a look at some of our latest MG models.
https://www.nathanielcars.co.uk/
First Bus – Travel Partner
“We’re your local bus service, but we’re more than just a way to get from A to B.
Buses bring people together - connecting communities, opening doors to opportunities, and making life more accessible. It’s the sustainable choice, the budget-friendly choice, and a choice for everyone, no matter who you are or where you’re going.
We know we’re not perfect. We don’t always get it right, and we can’t take you everywhere. But buses are always here, offering a reliable, welcoming way to travel. They don’t ask questions or judge - because they’re for everyone, every single day.
Thank you for riding with us and being part of what makes our service more than just transport. Together, we’re building connections that matter.”
Early Years & Childcare – supporting the Children’s Trail
The Childcare Offer for Wales: Help with childcare costs for eligible parents of 3- to 4-year-olds.
Do you need help with childcare costs? Under the Childcare Offer for Wales, you could claim up to 30 hours of early education and childcare a week, for up to 48 weeks of the year. This government-funded childcare scheme aims to lessen the burden of childcare costs so that you can spend the money you’ve saved on the things that matter most to your family.
The Offer has already helped parents from all over Wales to return to work, increase their hours or work more flexibly. If you’re looking for a job, or thinking about going back into education or training, but are worried about childcare costs, this support could make all the difference. Don’t miss out on your share of this childcare funding.
Get 30 hours of childcare for 3 and 4 year olds: Apply | GOV.WALES
