Y BWRDD SUPPER CLUB
Venue TBC on booking. facebook.com/ybwrdd / ybwrdd.eventbrite.co.uk
Food ***** Atmosphere *****
Y Bwrdd (The Board) is a supper club dining concept put together by Gwen Ellis and Annes Elwy. Neither are professional chefs or cooks – Gwen works in marketing, Annes is an actress – yet they both cook and devise the menu, generally from whatever takes their fancy. Sourcing locally and in season, always using Welsh produce Y Bwrdd champions small independent producers such as Ty Tanglwyst Dairy, Penarth butchers David Lush and Thompsons, and fruit and veg from another Penarth outlet, Windsor Fruit.
So far, it’s been a monthly event: two in Pontcanna, before December’s more intimate gatherings were held in Annes’ home over two evenings. I attended one of these, joining a party of around twelve people, some in couples, many unknown to each other, but all of whom were treated to fabulous food. Apart from the beautiful and intimate surroundings, the décor and table decorations were delightful.
Middle Eastern flavours seem to be influencing them at the current time, Annes having worked with an Israeli chef in London. Starters were a choice of salt-baked salmon with lemon and herb labneh, courgette salad with pickled fennel, or mushroom and walnut parcels with coconut and cucumber salad; main courses offered vegetarian hazelnut lasagne with winter greens and gruyere, or long-cooked beef shin lasagne with focaccia and salad.
Desserts: chai tea and petit fours, followed by chocolate, tahini and fig tiffin, Kadaif nests with raspberry, rose and pistachio or miniature mince pies. Each dish was created beautifully, with divine finishing touches; the setting, background music, company and evident passion for food makes the £35 a head price (bring your own wine) a bargain. To find out when the next supper club is, go to instagram.com/y_bwrdd.
words Antonia Levay