Tributes paid to ‘Welsh culinary legend’
TRIBUTES have been paid to TV personality Ena Thomas, who has died at the age of 85.
Mrs Thomas lived in the Llangunnor area of Carmarthen, but was until her death being cared for at Plas Y Dderwen care home in Johnstown.
A well-known face in Carmarthen for decades, Mrs Thomas became known throughout the country in 1993 when she began to appear on S4C’s nightly magazine show, Heno.
Here she would wow viewers up and down the country with her cooking skills, but even more so with her infectious and bubbly personality.
TV presenter Sian Thomas has paid tribute to a “lovely character” that she worked alongside for years.
“I first met her in the early ’90s when she was asked to come on the show,” said Sian.
“She was an instant hit. I’ve never seen someone take to the camera the way she did, which was all the more amazing seeing as she’s never worked in TV before. But it was as if she was born to do it.
“She was absolutely fantastic to work with. She had a heart of gold and was massively popular with the audience at home and with the staff – she would feed everyone!
“It was like having your own auntie or granny in the studio, and she was an amazing cook; everything she made, she made it seem possible that you could make it at home.
She was also a contributor to the Western Mail’s food pages.
Carolyn Hitt, this title’s columnist and former features editor, said: “Ena was a lovely lady and a Welsh culinary legend.”