Welsh chef Bryn Williams is set to open a new bar in Penarth. The Denbigh-born chef will offer plates and snacks alongside a curated drinks menu at the Touring Club in the Vale of Glamorgan town from next month.
The chef, who shot to fame when he was a contestant on BBC's Great British Menu, owns Odette's in London and Bryn Williams at Porth Eirias in Colwyn Bay. According to hospitality and business magazine The Caterer, Bryn's next business venture alongside his partners Rowen Hobbs, Dylan Griffith and Grant Maunder will be a "little nod to Patagonia" - a region known for its Welsh heritage and culture after a Welsh colony settled there in the 1800s.
"Myself and my three partners we've all travelled quite a bit and what we want to do is bring the very best of everywhere into one place," he told The Caterer. "Think of those bars you get on the continent, it's not a pub, it's not a wine bar – like in San Sebastian, you can get a great glass of wine and a plate of food and off you go.
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"At [the Touring Club] you will be able [to order] a simple plate of ingredients sourced well, and you can stay for a couple more drinks if you like." He added: "It's plates of food – not small plates or tapas – as well as a few snacky things and a decent glass of wine."
The Touring Club will open at 4 Washington Buildings, Stanwell Road and will offer diners an array of dishes such as steamed mussels and cockles from south Wales, Welsh rarebit on sourdough and pasta with truffles. The bar will also be serving wine, spirits and cocktails.
The Touring Club will open from midday until 11pm, serving takeaway coffees and food until 9pm. There will also be two chefs in the kitchen, as well as two or three front of house staff.
Bryan said he had numerous opportunities to open a venture south Wales over the years, adding: "But when it comes to Cardiff, I didn't know the city well enough – I'd just go for the football or the rugby – so this opportunity where the four of us are equal partners gave me that chance where I can concentrate on the food and the others can focus on their bits."
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