words: MIRANDA ATTY
It’s been a busy year for chef Bryn Williams. Not only is he successfully running his own restaurant Odette’s in London’s Primrose Hill, but in March he released his first cookery book, Bryn’s Kitchen. He will also be returning to his Welsh roots on Tues 21 June, with an exclusive guest chef dinner at the Wales Millenium Centre, Cardiff.
Hailing from Denbigh, north Wales, Bryn moved to London to work under chef royalty Marco Pierre White and Michel Roux Jr. In 2006 he cooked the fish course for the Queen’s 80th birthday on the BBC’s Great British Menu before being recruited by Vince Power to work as head chef at Odette’s. Bryn became sole chef proprietor of the restaurant in 2008.
What inspired your love of cooking?
The initial spark was created when we went on a field trip to a local bakery in north Wales during my last year of primary school. Seeing the baker bring the bread to life felt like watching magic. I saw him put the raw ingredients together and end with this fantastic trick where you could actually eat it. That was it, I was hooked from then on.
As someone concerned with maintaining their roots, how do you think that Wales has influenced and inspired your cooking?
I come from a farming background so I know how much hard work has gone into producing fantastic Welsh ingredients. I hate when chefs say ‘oh just chuck this in a pan’ because you never see a farmer just chucking seeds in the ground or chucking a lamb out into the field. My background has helped me get into food and made me respect Welsh ingredients. I always say the star of any restaurant should be the ingredients.
What has been the highlight of your career so far?
Having the opportunity to buy Odette’s and run it has been my greatest achievement because it is the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I bought Odette’s at the age of 31, and running your own business in central London, well, it’s either stupid or brave. Now, Odette’s is open seven days a week, we do a regular Sunday lunch and we have a lovely garden that’s open in the summer.
So, you’re showcasing your food at the Wales Millenium Centre dinner on the Tues 21 June, what inspired the dinner and the menu?
We have fantastic Welsh chefs and Welsh restaurants within Wales, and I just think we need to bang the drum a bit more about Welsh ingredients. The menu is very seasonal. We have a nice Welsh beef carpaccio with horseradish, so it’s a classic combination modernized. The fish course we’ve chosen is Welsh sea trout, wild garlic and asparagus. The ingredients are very seasonal and obviously sea trout is very Welsh. Roast pork belly with ginger and honey carrots was chosen for the meat course because we are trying to show that you don’t have to eat expensive ingredients all the time. Then to finish off we have rice pudding with strawberries and basil. Strawberries are in season, rice pudding is very welsh. Well to me it is, I remember having it every week at home.
You’ve recently published Bryn’s Kitchen, what led you to want to write a cookery book?
A lot of people asked me when I was writing a cookbook. I first got approached to do a cookery book in 2006 after Great British Menu, but I declined to do it then because I didn’t think I was ready. Then, I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do as a chef. Now, I know what I want to do and where I want to go and the book highlights that.
The book is quite distinctive in style because it is ingredient led, what influenced you to make that decision?
I wanted the book to reflect what I believe in and for me it is all about showing the versatility of different ingredients.
Any plans for another book?
Well, you never know. I’ve already got an idea in my head for the next one if I’m lucky enough to do it.
