A TASTE OF NORTH WALES

With a landscape defined by Snowdonia’s peaks and the waters of the Menai Strait, North Wales is home to world-class produce — something a new crop of farmers, fishermen, chefs and entrepreneurs are keen to share with the world

-  BEN OLSEN

The prodigal son

Following a busy lunch shift that's seen him plate up day-boat coley tempura, Welsh black beef pappardelle and Anglesey crab claw linguine in the open kitchen of Bryn Williams at Porth Eirias, chef Bryn Williams joins me at a table with sweeping views of Colwyn Bay. It’s half term and, as holidaymakers take to the beach with buckets and spades, I finish up a fortifying lunch of catch-of-the-day coley, ably accompanied by crushed peas and a satisfyingly chunky tartare sauce.

Bryn, who also owns Odette’s in London’s Primrose Hill, is something of a celebrity here, a prodigal son born in the nearby valleys who returned to North Wales after clocking up culinary experience in the South East as well as the Cote D’Azur. “When I was young, if you were interested in food, you had to leave to gain experience, but now you don’t have to — we’ve got a couple of Michelin stars and some fantastic restaurants,” he says of the region’s buoyant food scene, within which he plays a central part.

With its all-day menu and a modern, industrial aesthetic, this bright, waterside restaurant is modelled on European brasseries, yet the food is unapologetically Welsh. “Wales has one of the greatest larders on the planet. We’re surrounded by the coast and some magnificent seafood,” he says, pointing to the bobbing boats in the Menai Strait. “Then, if you go inland, there are some of the world’s best farmers, meat producers and allotment gardeners.”