A BEDDGELERT farmer has hosted three prominent Italian food bloggers as part of a drive to promote Welsh lamb.

Italians are widely known as a nation of food lovers.

As the Italian proverb goes, you must ‘eat to live and not live to eat’.

It’s with that in mind that Hybu Cig Cymru were delighted to host Roberta Castrichella, Sara Milletti and Elisa di Rienzo, three of Italy’s top food and lifestyle bloggers.

The bloggers are well established in Italy, a key market for PGI Welsh Lamb, and offer their readers content about food and travel.

Their combined following totals over 53,000 with young people making up a significant part of that.

The trio of bloggers enjoyed a farm visit near Beddgelert, a cooking course in Llanrwst and various visits to restaurants and eateries in north Wales to be introduced to Wales’ culinary and cultural identity, including iconic PGI Welsh Lamb.

The farm visit was hosted by Arwyn Owen at Hafod y Llan near Beddgelert.

The National Trust farm is an 1800 hectare upland sheep and beef farm at the foothill of Snowdon. 2000 Welsh mountain sheep and 100 pedigree Welsh Black cattle are kept on the holding, meaning that the group were able to see native breeds being farmed using traditional methods and practices.

Arwyn was able to share his experience of managing the farm, which also includes a camp site and hydro-electric system and provide a detailed and accurate account of what goes into running a Welsh farm and how Welsh Lamb is reared, naturally and with high welfare standards.

Roberta Castrichella author of RobySushi blog said: “Wales has been a wonderful country to come and visit, the scenery was breath-taking and the food was a special highlight also. It was very enjoyable meeting Arwyn and seeing the natural environment Welsh Lamb is reared in. I am looking forward to sharing my experiences with my readers.”

HCC’s Export Development Officer, Kate Patten, said: “It has been a great opportunity for HCC to bring these successful Italian bloggers over to Wales and show them the true story of PGI Welsh Lamb.

"The bloggers have already shared many photos and stories about their trip and experiences which have gained a lot of traction online, leading to a wider awareness and greater appreciation for PGI Welsh Lamb in the key Italian market.”