GARETH STEVENSON

At Palé Hall Hotel in Gwynedd, head chef Gareth Stevenson has gained acclaim both for his imaginative use of local ingredients and for his environmental credentials

- LUCAS OAKELEY

On the edge of Snowdonia National Park stands a grand Victorian building on the privately owned Palé Estate. It’s called Palé Hall Hotel, and it’s where some of Wales’s most exciting cooking is currently taking place. Taking inspiration from the country’s rich natural larder, head chef Gareth Stevenson produces complex, contemporary dishes such as Welsh black ox cheek, decorously layered with fudgy Jerusalem artichokes, miso and mandarin.

Stevenson is one of a growing number of young chefs revitalising the food scene in Wales, plucking ingredients from land and sea and incorporating them into fresh, innovative dishes. His ambitious vision has already helped Palé Hall earn a Michelin Green Star — awarded to restaurants that have gone above and beyond in their efforts to be sustainable. The 1920s hydro-electric power generator that keeps Palé Hall running is a testament to that, but Stevenson’s dedication to sustainability runs deeper than turning rainwater into renewable energy.

“We produce our own electricity and we grow our own stuff in the gardens and the orchard, but it’s not just about that,” says Stevenson. “Even outside of the food, everything has to meet a specific standard. Even the front-of-house uniform is made with partially recycled plastics.”