The Shed, close to the waterfront in Swansea, lives in a hulking industrial Victorian redbrick warehouse that once served the former docks. Now, chef Jonathan Woolway, after 16 years at London’s beloved St John, has finally returned home to Wales and set up shop, or rather a big, beautiful shed, here. Woolway is from Swansea, and passionate about fanning the flames of the local food scene. He’s serving bara brith – a traditional fruit loaf flavoured with tea – with slices of heritage teifi cheese, as well as family-recipe Welsh cakes with a shot of whisky; there are also hot, crisp croquettes made with local cockles and potted Câr-y-Môr crab with warm flatbreads.
Swansea, which is Wales’ second city, does not enjoy the same tourist attention as Cardiff, or lure book-lovers as Hay-On-Wye does, or draw the Gore-Tex-clad visitors to Snowdonia. But it does feel like a slice of living, breathing, everyday Wales, with a diminished town centre grappling to find new purpose. Yes, there are bits that look rather forgotten and shabby, with numerous boarded-up shopfronts, but there are also sleek, hopeful areas such as the SA1 Waterfront Area, which is where Woolway and his team are now showcasing Welsh produce and the future of local culinary talent.
