Welsh chef returns home to open restaurant championing regional produce
The chef, who left the UK seven years ago to work in Dubai, the Maldives, Australia, Sri Lanka and Thailand, said learning about different cultures’ cuisines had brought about a new-found respect for his own.
“I was going along picking up all these different cuisines and what it did was teach me to respect my own cuisine, so when I came back here, rather than replicating what I’ve been doing abroad, I decided it was time to go back to my roots and champion the great produce we have,” he told BigHospitality.
Pop-up restaurant
Adam Gaunt-Evans at The Swan Inn opened in the Ceiriog Valley, north Wales three weeks ago.
The 24-cover venue, the chef's first standalone venture, will initially run as a pop-up restaurant alongside the pub for six months with a view to becoming a permanent feature if successful.
Gaunt-Evans said: “It’s quite a tricky time for start-up businesses so I thought it was a smart move for a chef. I’ve been looking for a site since I came back last summer and this pub had a restaurant attached, so we’ve taken over that.
“It’s in a really nice village and The Swan is a lovely pub that’s a real hub of the community, so I’m looking forward to being part of that.”
Local food and drink
Adam Gaunt-Evans at the Swan’s menu will change each week with the chef-proprietor and his commis chef planning to use foraged ingredients alongside locally-sourced produce.
Sample dishes include smoked salmon sashimi with radish, pickled cucumber and horseradish and Strawberries Elizabeth – marinated strawberries served with Pimms jelly, strawberry coulis, orange granité and fresh mint.
The drinks menu is entirely British also, featuring Welsh wine, cider, beer and soft drinks.
Gaunt-Evans, who worked at The Dorcester and The Greenhouse before heading for Dubai, also refuses to stock bottled mineral water. Instead, he provides diners with free tap water and asks diners for a voluntary donation towards a charity that builds wells.
“We have excellent tap water here, it’s as good as any mineral water, so it seems arrogant and over-the-top to sell a selection of expensive bottled waters,” he said. “I’m trying to be as sustainable as possible, so it’s important to do what you can.”
