A Local’s Guide to Wales, U.K.

An organic grower and chef based in North Wales, Xanthe Gladstone is the director of food and food sustainability for the Hawarden Estate’s Good Life Experience festival, farm shop, and Glynne Arms restaurants, as well as Glen Dye Cabins & Cottages in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. A graduate of the esteemed Ballymaloe Cookery School, she believes food education is a vital part of eating right.

This interview is part of The World Made Local, a global collaboration between the seven international editions of Condé Nast Traveler in which 100 people in 100 countries tell us why their home turf should be your next destination.

What brought you to North Wales?

My family are from the region, so it was the obvious place to go when I decided to leave London. The landscape in Wales is truly outstanding and I love that it’s actually really connected to the rest of the country, which I think sometimes people don’t expect. The birdsong here is absolutely incredible, especially in the summer. It makes me feel very close to nature.

What inspires you most as a chef?

Being able to grow my own produce. I am a vegetarian, so every dish I cook centers on vegetables. I also forage—especially for mushrooms in the autumn and winter—so being able to look around and see what is growing at certain times of the year is something I find exciting. Whenever I feel uninspired, just getting outside and taking my dogs for a walk helps me.

How would you describe the community in this region?

There is a sense of open-mindedness here, as well as a desire to learn new things. I have witnessed so much change happen around me in terms of the projects that we have going on, and I love watching people adapt and engage with those changes. We’ve set up our own bakery; we are about to launch an on-site pizza van; and we have just expanded into a 40-foot polytunnel. We hope to supply our café, restaurant, and pub with produce solely from around us, and the local response has been great.

Where would you head if you were showing a friend around for 24 hours?

Definitely Snowdonia to walk and swim. It’s an hour away from me and it’s breathtaking. It captures the mood and culture of Wales so well.

Your all-time favorite spot?

Newborough beach in Anglesey. You park your car and walk through the most beautiful woodland for about an hour before ending up on the beach, which is amazing for swimming. I keep going back, even though I know there are many other corners I need to explore! On the way home I love to stop at Tide café by the Halen Môn sea salt company. The best thing I’ve eaten there was a local dressed crab with homegrown salad leaves and house-baked bread.

An interesting discovery?

There is a myth that it rains more in Wales than elsewhere in the U.K., but I don’t think that’s true. The weather here is beautiful more often than not—even when it rains it still looks exceptional.

Follow Xanthe Gladstone on Instagram @xanthegladstone