Gower Coast Seafoods is more than just a business – it’s a family tradition that has been part of Welsh coastal life for over a century. Our story begins in 1912, when Miriam Williams, just eight years old, first started selling cockles alongside her mother in Pantyffynnon.

 

Armed with little more than determination and a basket of fresh cockles, Miriam would travel by train from her home in Penclawdd to the mining villages, where her uncles worked. As she grew older, her routes expanded – she would hop on buses to Brynaman, Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen, and even as far as Trap, with her baskets of cockles balanced carefully at her side.

 

The way Miriam sold her cockles became part of local folklore. She would ask bus conductors to leave baskets on walls along the route, later walking back to collect the empties and knock on doors to sell the rest. In those days, communities were close-knit – customers often left bowls out with money when they weren’t home, or invited Miriam inside for a cup of tea, a warm meal, and even a chance to dry her clothes by the fire on rainy days.

 

As the years went by, Miriam’s son Jeff joined her on the rounds. When he learned to drive, he brought their cockles into Ammanford, while Miriam held her familiar spot outside the Cross Inn. What began as a small door-to-door trade soon grew into a well-known presence in the town.

 

Jeff’s wife Liz later became part of the business, and in time their son Spencer took the reins. Today, Spencer proudly carries on the family legacy, still rooted in Crofty, just a mile from Penclawdd. The cockles and laverbread are collected, cooked, and sold by the family themselves – a tradition of quality and care that hasn’t changed in over 100 years.

 

The only time the Williams family paused their trade was during the Pembroke oil disaster in 1996, when fishing was halted for 17 weeks. Other than that, through world wars, changing times, and over a century of history, the family has never stopped bringing the taste of the Gower coast to the people of South Wales.

 

At Gower Coast Seafoods, every shell and every sale tells a story – of heritage, resilience, and a deep connection to the sea.

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