It's a pretty romantic tale. Head off for the bright lights of London, fight tooth and nail to reach the very top of an industry renowned for its brutal and demanding nature. Succeed. Then return home a master of your craft, ready to champion the people, places and most importantly the produce that drives your passion.
Jonathan Woolway's dream was to create his own restaurant in his hometown. After 16 years in the English capital working at one of the world's most prestigious restaurant groups, The Shed in Swansea's SA1 is now open for business, and if you're wondering if he'll stick true to his word, and "absorb" the local food scene as he promised, then take one look at the menu.
Cockle croquettes, squash and laverbread soup, potted crab, Welsh rarebit, bara brith and heritage Teifi cheese, Welsh cakes and whiskey. This isn't just a Welsh restaurant, it's a celebration of Wales, it's a coronation of native ingredients. It's the producer hall of fame. The grower's GOAT. It's Cymru cusisne. It's fine Dai-nning (I've gone too far).
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Sat in the J Shed building in what was once part of Swansea docks, this industrial Victorian red brick warehouse has been transformed into a pristine, modern, chic eating arena, where diners can marvel at the team of chefs working methodically at the pass in front of them.
The menu is tweaked daily, based on the produce sourced locally from their fishmongers, butchers and greengrocers. Lunch is served from 12pm between Wednesday and Sunday and dinner from 5pm Tuesday to Saturday.
In terms of cost, well it's fairly reasonable for a restaurant of this nature. Nibbles from £5-£8, starters between £9 and £18. Mains start at £18 and on the day of our visit peaked at £28 for the Braised Shorthorn, Celeriac and Horseradish.
Sides are priced between £6 and £8 and the puddings ranged from £9 to £15.
The wine list is extensive and caters for every budget. If a £425 bottle of vintage red is what you're after, you'll be very happy but our £25 bottle of Sauvignon Blanc was perfectly delicious.
What about the food though? Spoiler alert, it was pretty damn good.
I ordered the potted Car-y-Mor crab and grilled flatbread (£18) followed by the roast mallard, cavolo nero and bacon (£26) while my wife opted for mussels, white cabbage, cream sauce and pickled chilli (£12) followed by grilled mackerel, rainbow chard and anchovy (£24).
The potted crab was a dreamy dish of rich, salty butter enveloping the sweetest, lightest, freshest crab meat underneath. It melted in the mouth as I scooped it into my gob using the freshly baked bread as my vessel.
The mussels on the other side of the table were pretty as a picture, sat in a nest of rocket and glossy white cabbage doused in a punchy vinaigrette sauce that perfectly accompanied the shellfish that popped with natural sweetness.
Then came the mains with a great big slap in the face of big bold, brash flavours.
I can't decide what was more delicious, the dark caramelised lollipop of confit duck leg or the perfectly pink and juicy breast that married so well with the slightly bitter cabbage and sweetness of the jammy dollop of jelly on the side.
The butterflied mackerel, another thing of beauty to behold, was cooked to perfection, its charred, crispy skin sitting on a pool of vibrant red vegetables and sauce. My wife did find the anchovy to be a little overpowering for her particular taste buds at times, but she still devoured the lot with some gusto.
I must at this point also offer a tip of the hat to our waitress and the kitchen staff who were, on a complete whim, asked if they could provide me with a side of chips (£6) as our food arrived. A rather cruel test which they passed with flying colours, delivering crisp golden batons of potato within minutes to lap up every last drop of duck jus.
Now I am not one of life's great pudding enthusiasts but my wife on the other hand is a connoisseur of this course. It's usually a very good sign when spends as much time studying a menu as she did trying to decide the name of her first born child.
She eventually opted for the hot chocolate caramel pudding (£12.50), cooked fresh to order and enjoyed with added theatre and spectacle as our eyes, transfixed, watched the spoon send a river of warm chocolate oozing out of the perfect sphere of sponge, into a quenelle of vanilla ice cream. Rich, naughty and delectable, I mean what more needs to be said.
The blood orange pavlova (£8.50) I chose was sweet and extremely tasty. You can't really go wrong with crunchy, crumbly and slightly chewy meringue, sweet cream and fresh fruit can you? Simple in theory, executed masterfully.
At a time when the hospitality industry is battling on so many fronts it is a breath of fresh air, not just to see an exciting new venture blossom, but one that unashamedly knows where it is, what it is and what it wants to be. Showcasing the bountiful flavours of Wales with such passion and skill.
