The owners of two of Wales' best pubs have announced they are expanding over the bridge and will open a new restaurant in Bristol. Sarah and Tom Watts-Jones who own the acclaimed Hare & Hounds in Aberthin and The Heathcock in Llandaff, Cardiff will open their new venture in July.
The pair will be taking over The Clifton on Regent Street in the southwest city with Sarah aiming for an optimistic opening date of July 5. Similarly to their Welsh sites which have garnered a reputation for themselves as pubs that serve very good food, The Clifton will have the same vibe with the addition that all of the meat will be cooked over an open wood fire.
As well as this, some team members who have made their name in the Hare & Hounds and The Heathcock will be heading over to front up the new business, with the head chef of The Clifton being the recent Sous Chef of the former Corey Scott.
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And if their other businesses are anything to go by, their Bristol launch looks set to be a success. The Hare & Hounds beat eight other shortlisted Welsh pubs for the title of The Wales Pub & Bar of the Year 2021 and the Heathcock has been shortlisted in 2023's list. It is also The Heathcock which appears to have changed food critic Jay Rayner's view of the city's foodie scene, you can read his glowing review here.
Sarah and chef Tom came back home to Cowbridge eight years ago after he worked at Anchor & Hope and Michelin-starred St John in London. Since then the pair have made successes of both pubs come restaurants and in during the pandemic adapted to sell baked goods from the front car park and now their skilled bakers have their own outlet with a stand-alone bakery.
While this is undoubtedly down to the quality food and drink offered at their sites and welcoming atmosphere, it is also down to their commitment to nurturing and keeping their talented chefs. For example, David Killick who was previously the Sous Chef at the Hare & Hounds is now the head chef at The Heathcock.
The team has long been committed to supporting local suppliers, something they say will translate over to their new Bristol site. "We'll be sticking to what we do" said Sarah.
Speaking of what exactly they have managed to bottle up in their Welsh sites she said: "We've always made an effort for everybody. Everybody's welcome. We're really child friendly, we're really family-friendly, bring your dog and eat a meal in the bar, we are not fancy and don't want to be, you can relax here.
"It's everything that we loved from little bits of eating and living in London for 10 years, is keeping that casual feel, keeping it informal, but it just feels really, really good quality and supporting local businesses. It's a pub in that you can come in and have a pint or a glass of wine and a bag of crisps but it'll be the best glass of wine for that price that you can get and It'll be the best kept beer in the area.
"It suits any occasion. You can pop in for a few drinks after work or you can come for a celebration and have a nine course tasting menu with wine matching. I think more than anything it's still a really lovely, friendly, welcoming place."
The Clifton is expected to open on July 5 on 16 Regent Street, Bristol.
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