Less than a month after a dispute with a landlord ended Gareth Lee’s time serving customers at the popular The Gate at Llanfrechfa the unflappable foodie has moved quickly to transform the site of an old favourite into another little gem. Since opening the Stuffed Dormouse in Caerleon in 2012 Gareth and wife Heather have gained a reputation for exotic meats at great value and they’ve returned to their old stomping ground for a quieter life at the newly-named El Gordo’s Seafood and Grill.
While their ever-changing menu is far removed from the crocodile, python, and zebra served up when this place was the Stuffed Dormouse Gareth is determined to keep people guessing. “The menu is all on blackboards – no paper menus,” the former Come Dine With Me: The Professionals contestant insists.
“There are 15 starters to choose from and 25 main courses and it’s basically whatever the fishmonger prepares for that day. That’s how it’s going to be – always a good range of meats and fish changing all the time.”
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Favourites will remain from his time at the Los Reyes Tapas Bar, The Rock and Fountain at Penhow, the Waterloo, and The Gate. “Sea bass in rock salt is always a popular one and that will stay on the menu and we’ll have the calamari starter too which we’ve done for years now and people love it. We wouldn’t take those off,” Gareth said. “At the Stuffed Dormouse we were famous not just for the exotic meats but for the £10 two-course offers. At the time the cost was probably average but in the current climate it’s not something you usually see – but we’re going to carry that on. Instead of ham, egg, and chips it’ll be things you can’t do at home. This week we’ve had smoked salmon starter on that course, homemade beef meatballs starter too. And we’ve had wild boar main course as well as grilled monkfish. We’re committed to offering it at good value. A fresh plate of great food at good value always works – there’s no secret to it. Just don’t bulls*** people.”
He admitted he and his family have been exhausted by years at a “monster” in The Gate due to the staffing crisis in the hospitality sector. “The Gate was a monster. We were doing 1,500 to 2,000 meals a week. It needed six chefs but it was only me and another for a year or so – that’s how bad the staffing situation has been. Before the lockdown we probably had one of the best independent restaurants there in south Wales. But then with issues with staffing, Covid, Brexit, it became hard.”
He’s delighted to be able to have time to speak to customers in a more relaxed setting. “It’s nice to get away from the busyness of what we had at The Gate to be honest. I have time to come out and say ‘hello’ to our locals who seem to be really pleased we’re back here. We’ve tried to take little bits from Los Reyes but keep what was good when we were the Stuffed Dormouse here. We’ve got the Spanish music playing, it’s a much smaller team – our biggest table is only eight so we can’t seat lots. It’s a generally nicer atmosphere.
"We opened last Friday evening as a trial and did 25 to 30 people and everything went really well. The weekend was great and we did Sunday lunches. We’re closed Mondays and Tuesdays but the restaurant has almost been full throughout the rest of the week. We’ve got a lot of bookings coming in already.
“I’ve always wanted my last job to be beside the sea at a little place with me cooking, my boy on the bar, and my wife doing front of house. Sadly we’ve missed out on the sea view but we’ve got the rest of it now. We just want to enjoy life now as a family unit and enjoy working as a family unit, which we haven’t been at The Gate for some time. I’ve just got to keep telling myself: ‘Don’t open any more restaurants for God’s sake.’”
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