A new project from the chef behind Wales' most decorated restaurant has started taking booking for its new Machynlleth restaurant for the first time.

On Wednesday, March 29, the bar section of Gareth Ward’s new restaurant Gwen was opened to Machynlleth Town Centre for the first time, ahead of the venue's full opening in May. His existing restaurant Ynyshir is Wales only restaurant with two Michelin stars.

And bookings have also opened with more than 70 people already lined up to eat at the new site from next month.

While Mr Ward is the owner of the restaurant, Gwen’s kitchen will be spearheaded by Ynyshir chef Corrin Harrison.

He said: “We’ve had a really good first weekend as it’s been nice to see a mix of people visiting what we’ve opened so far.

OTHER NEWS:

“It’s good to finally get the ball rolling after months of planning and preparation and to see people coming in to enjoy what’s on offer is exactly what we wanted.

“We like to think we’ve lived up to expectations, and surprised people in terms of what we have to offer.

“It’s especially nice to be able to cater to people within the local area in a way we might not have been able to before, now that we are rooted in the heart of Machynlleth on its high street.

“We can’t wait to open to remainder of the restaurant, and a lot of my time now is devoted to testing and preparing to welcome everyone in.”

The restaurant has reportedly made approximately 70 bookings, up to half of the seats available for its first month.

County Times:

Gwen offers both a wine bar and restaurant, with the former opening to the public to offer a taste of what visitors can expect from the design and look of the establishment.

Creative director Amelia Eiriksson said: “It’s been an awesome first few days, having spent so much energy into getting everything ready it’s rewarding to see the place busy at this early stage.

“What we really like is seeing the interest people have in the space, to finally see what Gwen is supposed to look like rather than relying on preconceptions.

“We’ve been getting good feedback from those who have come in to visit, and the people visiting are a great mix of residents and those travelling through the area and stopping off, which is just what we wanted.

“You never know how something like this will go before you open, so to have that vindication gives us a lot of confidence as we expand to open the rest of the business in the coming month.”