Gareth Ward’s restaurant Gwen is staying open after all – with Peter Sanchez-Iglesias of former Bristol superstar Casamia taking over as head chef at the end of May.
The surprise announcement followed just a couple of weeks after the revelation that Gwen, in Machynlleth, was to close with the departure of chef Corrin Harrison and his team.
Gareth, whose high-profile flagship Ynyshir is six miles away, broke the news in an interview on social media, saying “I feel like I’ve just signed Cristiano Ronaldo”.
He said he had first met the Bristol-based chef when Peter and his late brother Jonray visited Restaurant Sat Bains in Nottingham, where Gareth was part of the kitchen brigade. Since then, Gareth said, they had become good friends, sharing family holidays and their obsession with cooking – “He’s family. He’s phenomenal. He’s my brother from another mother.“
Under Peter, Casamia rose to No 1 on the Harden’s 100 list of the UK’s best restaurants in 2019 before closing down almost four years ago. Peter’s other Bristol restaurant, Paco Tapas, closed in May last year, and he has also been active in London as executive chef of Mexican restaurant Decimo at the Standard hotel, opposite King’s Cross station.
Gwen – named after Gareth’s mother – is a tiny venue that accommodates just eight diners at each sitting. Opened three years ago, it has been the highest-ranked restaurant in Wales on the Harden’s 100 for the past two years, overtaking Ynyshir in the process.
Gareth said he and his partner Amelia Eiriksson were thrilled to be supporting Peter in his new chapter, back behind the stoves doing what he has always loved.
“There’s one man in this world who hasn’t been cooking in the kitchen who 100% should be cooking, who might be one of the best chefs in this country there’s ever been. I have so much love and respect for this man and his family, and to get this guy to take on Gwen restaurant is mind-blowing.“
Peter said he was overwhelmed at the prospect of working with Gareth – something he had always wanted to do. “I love this place, it’s amazing. The stars aligned and everything was made to be, so here we are.”
