Barti Art

Please note Barti Art takes place at the very beginning of the year and the 2025 competition is now over. Visit our blog/news pages to see the results. A rest year is planned for 2026. See you in 2027!

The 2025 winners have been announced! Find them here.

In 2025 we raised £1,025 for Sea Life Trust through the silent auction. Read more here.

What is Barti Art?

Barti Art is annual competion help by Barti Rum Ltd which encourages individuals of all abilities to get get creative.

Why take part?

Each year there are cash prizes for first, second and third prize plus runners up win bottles of rum. No only this it's a great excuse to flex your creative muscles over the darker months of December, January and Febuaruy. Money is raised for charity as all art can be bid on.

2018 entry, scarf by Marissa Therez.

Who can enter?

Anyone over 18. Professionals and people who haven't picked up a pencil since school are all encouraged.

2019 winning entry by Amy Wolfe

What happens to the art entries?

Every year, normally over February half term all the entries are displayed at an exhibition somewhere in Pembrokeshire. This is where members of the public can visit and see what's been created, they will have an opportunity to bid on pieces of art for charity if they wish. It's also where the judging happens. Normally the venue is a pub, restaurant or hotel, we continue to do this to try and offer some support to the hospitality industry in the quieter months.

Previous exhibition venues have been, The Druidstone Hotel, Wiseman's Bridge Inn, The Old Point House Angle, The Castle Inn Newport.

After the exhibition all art is removed and distributed to the owners of the winning bids. Unfortunately, unless you bid on your art and you win, your art cannot be returned.

2018 print entry by Matt Joyce. We later approached

Matt to design our BBQ sauce label.

Ceramic jug winning entry by Joanne Robey 2019

What type of art is accepted?

As long as it's not offensive, or especially enormous and unable to fit inside the exhibition venue, any and all forms of art are accepted from jewellery to sculpture to furniture to print paintings and everything in between.

Digital entries can be submitted to mail@bartirum.wales but these need to be submitted one week prior to the official deadline to allow time for them to be processed, printed and mounted if applicable.

Winning sculpture entry by Paul R Martin 2023

Who judges the art?

The team at Barti Rum plus a guest judge who is a professional artist. For the first four years screen print artist and designer of the Barti Label Tom Frost has helped judge.

Entry form 2019 by Sammey and Mark

What charity is money raised for?

The charity changes every year and is generally an environmental charity. Past charities we have supported were NARC (Neptune's Army of Rubbish Cleaners who cleaned up rubbish in the sea), The Wildlife Trust, Greenpeace and Sea Trust Wales.

Oil painting entered by Mariett Voke in 2019

2024 entry by Samara Van Rijswijk

Barti Art 2025 The Details!

Theme. Every year we toy with having a more defined theme for the competition. But every year we come to the conclusion we don't want to restrict it, so as ever this year we are asking you to create art inspired by Barti Rum. We implore you to consider all avenues of what this could mean. The flavours, the liquid, the setting in which Barti might be enjoyed, the slogan "content not content", the pirate story, the details within the pirate story - music, theatre, adventure.

Medium. An abstract painting of a swirling sea of rum? A collage made of seaweed and dried coastal plants depicting John Roberts departure from British shores? A carving of the pirate code on a plank of driftwood? A chandelier made from empty Barti bottles? A pattern print of Barti serves and cocktails? A set of four ceramic cups, each one suited to the season for drinking Barti?

Basically, as long as it's not offensive or dangerous to display in any way, you can make and create anything you want.

Prizes. First place will win £500 plus a bottle of Barti Rum and a bottle of Barti Cream. Second place will take £200 plus a bottle of Barti rum and a bottle of Barti Cream. Third place will get £50 and a bottle of Barti Rum and a bottle of Barti Cream. Ten runners up will win a bottle of Barti Rum or Barti Cream (their choice).

Deadline. All physical artwork must arrive at Barti HQ by 14th February. The address for posting/delivery is Unit 22, Honeyborough Industrial Estate, Neyland, Milford Haven, SA73 1SE.

We encourage you to print your own graphic illustrations, however digital entries can be emailed to mail@bartirum.wales these must be submitted by the earlier deadline of the 9th Feb to allow time for us to process, print and mount them if applicable.

Exhibition. The venue for this years exhibition will be Hwb, an indoor street food style restaurant with four independent kitchens based in Narberth. The exhibition will run from Saturday 22nd Feb to Sunday 2nd March (Welsh half term holidays). Check out Hwb's menu and opening times here.

Charity Auction. This year the beneficiary for the art austion will be Sea Life Trust. The auction will operate in the same way as last year. Sealed bids can be placed online at any time during the exhibition being open (a new better platform will be used to ensure multiple bids can be handled). In the weeks after the exhibition winners will be contacted and invoiced for the work they have won, which will be posted to them.

If it's before midnight on the 2nd March 2025 you can view this years art and place a bid here.

Terms and conditions. Art work becomes the property of Barti Rum Ltd at the point of submission. You cannot have your artwork back becuase it will be offered for sale as part of the charity auction. You are welcome to bid on your own artwork. In some circumstances, if your art does not sell you can have it back but only if you contact us within a one week window and collect your art within a three week window following the exhibition. We cannot accept late entries. We will do everything we can to display your art work at the exhibition, but we cannot guarantee that there will be sufficient space or technical ability to display entries such as installation and film, however in these instances we can display a QR code so people can view the work online. The winners will be chosen by the Barti team and a guest judge who is a successful practicing local artist, all judging decisions are impartial and final.

Full gallery of entries 2018 on Facebook

Gallery mixture of 2018 and 2019 entries on Facebook

Entries video 2023 on Instagram

Winners video 2023 on instagram

Exhibition at The Castle Inn 2024 video on Instagram

The first of several posts showing the runners up and winners 2024 on Instagram

Barti Art 2025 poster

Barti Art 2024 poster

Barti Art 2019 poster for social media

Barti Art 2018 poster for social media

Barti | The Back Story - With Origin Story Below...

1607

The First Record Of Welsh People Eating Seaweed

Laverbread is recorded as a staple food, eaten in South Wales in William Camden’s work, Britania. The people of Swansea and the surrounding area are among the most charmed by this savoury green ingredient and devour it routinely, normally as part of their breakfast.

1682

A Young Boy Leaves Pembrokeshire

A boy called John Roberts was born in Casnewydd Bach (Little Newcastle in English), a tiny village in Pembrokeshire, West Wales. The boy grew and left home aged 11, he is recorded as joining the British Royal Navy in the lowest of ranks aged just 13.

1719

Roberts Is Forced To Join His Pirate Captors

Age 37 Roberts’ long lowly career in the Navy has been habitually unremarkable until one day the ship he is working aboard is captured by pirates. Reluctant to join them, but less inclined towards being murdered, Roberts is initiated into the pirate crew which happens to be captained by another Pembrokeshire man, Howel Davies from Milford Haven.

1720

Bartholemew The New Captain

Immediately hitting it off with his captor, John Roberts and Hywel Davies speak Welsh to one another and Davies values Roberts’ excellent navigational skills which were entirely overlooked by his former royal naval colleagues. When Davies is killed, the very popular second in command is immediately voted in as the new captain and takes on the alias name Bartholemew Roberts.

1721

The Most Prolific Pirate Career

Bartholemew is wanted dead by several of the richest countries in the world for his notoriously effective interceptions of Atlantic trading ships. Famed for his unprecedented success at seizing huge amounts of treasure over a short period, fiercely enforcing his pirate code which ensures every crew member (a third of whom were black) has an equal share and vote, ensuring his men don’t mistreat women, and being unapologetically unique in terms of style and attitude for the time.

Discover More

1722

Forever Known As Barti Ddu or in English Black Bart

After his death Bartholomew Roberts becomes known as the infamous Black Bart, or Barti Ddu in Welsh. Barti Ddu was long constrained by poverty and the societal norms of the seventeen hundreds before his capture which ultimately freed him to be the individual he truly was.

It’s well documented that Bartholemew Roberts spent very little time in the company of women, some historians speculate that he was gay or in fact a she.

1879

A Pembrokeshire Shipwreck Over 100yrs After Barti's Death

The Thomas M Reed, bound for Liverpool from San Fransisco with tonnes of precious cargo. The ship never made it, wrecking off the Pembrokeshire coast. Cargo was strewn along Freshwater West, a secluded beach on the most South West tip of Wales, attracting people from as far as Swansea. The visitors noticed the abundant laver seaweed growing at Freshwater West realising it could be used to up production of their beloved laverbread. A deal was struck and laver began being picked by local women and transported to Swansea for processing.

1940

Seaweed Collecting At Freshwater West Peaks Then Fades Away

The best of the seaweed harvesting years at Freshwater West are over as food fashions change and the availability of new and exciting delicacies arrive.

1995

A Physical Symbol Of Pembrokeshire's Seaweed Harvesting Heritage

The last remaining seaweed drying hut at Freshwater West beach is restored by The National Trust and becomes a grade two listed building.

Barti | The Origin Story

2010

Jonathan Williams is Homesick

Staring out of his landlocked Swindon office window, working in sustainability, but pining for Pembroke and his passions, cooking, story telling and the sea.

Captivated by harvesting wild laver seaweed at his local beach, from the preservation of the last drying hut. Jonathan acquires a taste for the seaweed himself and so inspired, he starts ‘The Pembrokeshire Beach Food Company’ trading his seaweed lobster rolls, sea plant salads and beach burgers at ‘Café Mor’. Jonathan quits his day job in Swindon.

2012-2016

‘Cafe Mor’ Wows Crowds With Seaweed Inspired Menu

The seaweed inspired menu is a hit and wins gold at the British Street Food Awards and Café Mor caters for the athletes in the Olympic village, Glastonbury & other major UK events. Café Mor wins a permanent trade spot at home, where historical seaweed pickers worked from. Fran Barnikel joins on a temp graduate placement. Growth Continues.

His sideline of sea inspired condiments and crackers get traction and are commonly found in local shops.

2017

BARTI DDU RUM IS BORN

Jonathan, takes two weeks off after the birth of his second daughter & returns to HQ with excitement & a new business idea, combining his favourite things; Seaweed, a great local story, this time a pirate 'Barti Ddu' & RUM. He'd already begun developing the flavour profile and sourcing expertly distilled rum from the Caribbean. Barti Ddu Rum was born.

Having always been a rum girl, it didn’t take much persuasion for Fran to get involved. Fran becomes a partner & later full time Managing Director.

2019

Building A Brand

Barti Spiced Rum begins to really take off in Wales, especially as a new wave of rum lovers comes crashing in over the slowly plateauing gin craze. Barti builds itself as a brand for those much like Jonathan Williams. Driven by passion, creative, eco conscious and enthralled by the outdoors and what tales of adventure they have to offer, and are yet to facilitate.

2020

Barti Rum Is Grateful To Its Loyal Following

Despite the obstacles of the pandemic Barti secures itself as the third best selling spirit in the portfolio of the biggest regional food service wholesaler in Wales, behind only mainstream brands Gordon’s Gin and Smirnoff Vodka. Amy Yamazaki joins the team heading up trade sales and expanding Barti’s presence in shops and bars across the UK.

2023

Continuing to Grow, Prioritising Sustainability and Innovation

As the Barti Rum and Pembrokeshire Beach Food business’ continue to grow, Jonathan is now spear heading world leading research into the viability of seaweed as a carbon capture mechanism, something which could be a global game changer, and in the least, will make Barti Rum a carbon negative company in not too many years to come.