Wales Starter – Welsh Rarebit

Welsh rarebit is definitely one of those meals that really doesn’t give anything away in its name. Essentially, it is beer-infused cheese on toast. Glorious.

The day before making the rarebit, we made a fresh cob loaf to make the meal extra special — but some good shop-bought bread would work perfectly well too!

The rarebit sauce is made from a roux base — butter and flour cooked together, then Welsh ale added gradually while stirring to create a smooth, thick sauce. A generous amount of strong cheddar is then melted in, along with mustard and Worcestershire sauce for depth.

The sauce is spread thickly onto slices of toast and then grilled until golden, bubbling and just starting to blister at the edges.

This was an absolute triumph — rich, cheesy, with a beautiful depth of flavour from the ale and mustard. Proper Welsh comfort food and the perfect start to Wales week!

Let us know if you give this a go.