A brand new restaurant and gastro pub in Cowbridge, for which money was raised through a Kickstarter fund, is opening its doors on Friday, November 25 at the site of the old The Carne Arms pub, a 16th Century building that has been at the heart of the community.
Run by chefs Lewis Dwyer and Andy Aston, Hiraeth is going to be a restaurant-come-pub where you can "kick back and enjoy it" and have a "dining experience". It will serve up seasonal food which "showcases a modern British style of cooking that's delivered in a relaxed, unpretentious style", as stated by its Kickstarter site. The money raised has been used for a variety of things, from signage, branding and renovating the area to recruitment, stock and crucial furniture and kitchen items. Read more on the kickstarter here.
"The reason we did it was because we're not naive to the fact that fuel costs are going up," said Andy of the Kickstarter fund. "We got given the quote for our electricity bill on a monthly basis and it's quite scary stuff. So we looked at it and thought 'do we really want to start a business, going to the bank or finance company and take out a load of debt?', so that's another bill that adds to the pile.
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"And then we've got that bill, plus the rent, plus the fuel costs going up. How can we honestly, with good conscience, sit there and say 'yeah, we'll be able to pay all that back', and it just felt like a really irresponsible thing to do, so we thought if we could go about it with a crowdfund, at least then we've done a few things in doing that." In doing the Kickstarter, he explains they've drummed up trade, created a buzz, got the word out about what they're doing and have been able to gauge whether there is an appetite for what they're wanting to do - which, it seems, there is.
Lewis and Andy met in kitchens and bonded over "a love of food" and although having both worked in kitchens, seeing how tough it is to open and run a business, it hasn't deterred them from opening one of their own.
While Lewis has spent the past two years building the Hiraeth brand up, keeping his style of cooking flowing and creating an identity via pop-ups and home delivery meal kits, Andy - who has run his own award-winning gastropub in the past - has spent the last four years as head chef at the award-winning - and UK's most beautiful - hotel, restaurant and vineyard, Llanerch Vineyard. He wrote on the Kickstarter: "After achieving many accolades and plaudits for the vineyard the time has come for a challenge!"
And the time is now as they prepare the open the doors of Hiraeth on Friday, November 25 - although it took longer to open than planned.
"Initially, when we got the keys, we thought a quick lick of paint and get the doors open. And then you kind of realise that perhaps... you know you only get one chance at that moment [opening]," said Andy. "So I suppose it's a good opportunity to just try and get everything done that you possibly can. So yeah, we ended up going probably a little bit further [than planned]. And then as we walked around the building in the early days, and talked about what our wish list was for what we'd like to achieve, I suppose that's when it starts to grow, and you kind of start adding things onto the list."
Taking on a lot of the hard work of doing it up themselves, Andy explained: "So obviously, there's certain things we've had to get trades in for, you know, obviously, like the plumbing and fitting in new radiators. Then we've had an electrician on site and doing all those sorts of things that needs somebody that knows really what they're doing. But yeah, the rest of it we just kind of mucked in and got on with it. So yeah, it's been a learning curve."
Speaking of their vision for the establishment when they first got the keys, Andy said: "Things always change as you go along... When we first walked in, the one thing that really kind of bothered us was - obviously our background was food. And we really wanted the food to be the hero of what we're doing, I guess, and our focal point - the whole building just didn't feel like it flowed.
"The kitchen was in the opposite corner of the building to where the restaurant would have been laid out. And also the bar served into the restaurant. So as a result, it felt like the whole building was just a little bit confused.
"So obviously, it would have been really expensive to move the kitchen so we didn't move the kitchen, we moved the bar and created a separate pub and restaurant and the restaurant we moved into what would have been considered the pub area and then the pub into where the restaurant was. We flipped it on its head. I suppose that's what created a lot of the work. But the end result we're really happy with."
As for the vibe, Andy tells me it's "very chill" and with the fire and some nice music on, its cosy, relaxed and not at all "stuffy fine dining". He adds how they wanted to honour the history of the 400-year-old building and have kept characterful elements of the former 16th century rectory, which is steeped in history - and apparently can boast Charlie Chaplin among its previous customers.
"There's a lot of stone - stone walls and exposed stonework - so that side of it, you don't want to touch that, you've got to keep that. And that's part of the character and the features of the building and what we wanted to have on show. One area of the building is flagstones. One area is wooden floors.
"The walls and ceiling had all been painted almost like a cappuccino brown colour. So as soon as we came in, the colour scheme needed to be picked up so that when you walk in, it feels a lot more light and vibrant and a nicer place to be. [Now] the whole place just feels a lot brighter."
Andy explains that the support the pair have had from the locals in the Cowbridge area has been phenomenal, despite the change of a key detail of the building.
"We were quite worried about the name change, because we've taken what was the The Carne Arms. People do know it, particularly in the local area. And we're not saying that we've lost the name altogether, but we've obviously changed it and given it a new identity. But, in fairness, I feel like people have really taken to it. So we'll see, hopefully they support that that going forward as well."
They have reused a lot of the original furniture left in the building as well as added a few new upholstered touches. With a cosy and comfortable feel, he explains they didn't want to include "stuffy fine dining tablecloths". He adds: "We just want people to come in, make a load of noise and have a bit of fun. And that's pretty much it that. We're not expecting dress codes and all that kind of stuff. We just want people to come in and kick back and enjoy it really."
With a "constantly evolving" menu, Andy explains there will be a selection of small plates, tasting menus and wine - paired by a local wine expert called Charlie - on one side of the establishment and then a multi-course restaurant menu on the other using seasonal ingredients. Expect dishes such as partridge breast and Hake Kiev. They will also be serving up Sunday roasts and hosting pub quizzes as they put the building at the heart of the community.
Hiraeth opens on Friday, November 25. For more information and opening times, visit the website.
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