The Castell y Bwch in Henllys has unveiled a new menu, with the owners aiming to serve customers food “that isn’t normally available in Cwmbran.”
A launch event was held last Saturday, with the restaurant at the back of the pub packed with diners eager to check out what was on offer for the first time. Throughout the evening, diners were given an introduction to wine pairings by Emilio Dos Santos, of Fine Wines Cardiff, which supplies the wines featured on the menu.
He selected a choice of two white wines for the starter before moving on to a duet of reds with the mains. I wasn’t drinking but loved listening to him talk in plain English about wines- nothing pretentious, just simple tips and reassurance on choosing your wine.
I was invited as a guest and shared a table-for-two with a journalist from the South Wales Argus. Olivia was great company with lots of laughs and stories alongside a wonderful three-course meal. I chose:
– Belly Pork Bites with Black Pudding tossed in a sweet chilli sauce and served on a bed of lettuce (£6.95)
– Duck Breast: A succulent pan-fried duck breast with a crispy skin and tender, medium-rare centre, beautifully balanced by a rich-sweet redberry reduction served with green beans and Dauphinois potatoes. (gf) (£26.95)
– Espresso Martini Delice: Espresso dairy coffee ice cream with a stunning coffee liqueur on a Tia Maria sponge base (£7.95)
As my Belly Pork Bites was served up, Dos Santos said: “I’m here to say you understand the wines you like, understand the food you like, and it should work well anyway. Obviously there’s some things where they don’t clearly match up, but you do you.
“If you want to experiment, do whatever you want, life’s too short to be told what to drink and especially if you’ve spent a bit of money on a wine for a reason because someone told you so, but you don’t actually like it.”
After the last of the empty desert plates were being cleared away, I spoke to Gary Bulmer, the landlord, about what the Castell was trying to do.
Gary Bulmer- landlord of the Castell y Bwch
He said: “I’m excited about launching a restaurant. It’s something different that isn’t normally available in Cwmbran, and you have to go to Cardiff or the likes of Blaenavon where other restaurants have done well.
“So what I’m trying to offer here is something that is not Cardiff prices, probably better than Cardiff quality, and much more value for money, whether it be from the steak range or from the chef’s specials range.
“We’re just trying to do something that’s a bit different. We’re not a Sizzler or any other brand. We’re just an independent place trying to do as best as we can.”
“We seek out suppliers that aren’t just the cheapest supplier, so whether it’s the quality of the product, be it food, the wines, the beer, it’s not always the cheapest, and in this day and age quite often it’s easy to drive down the cheapest route.
“It’s the difference between the cost you’re paying but the quality that you’re getting.”
Fine Wines Cardiff
Dos Santos said Fine Wines Cardiff had worked closely with the Castell y Bwch on developing a wine list to complement the restaurant’s new menu.
He said: “We are the wine merchant for the Castell y Bwch. We put the wine list together and recommend new wines to go on their list.
“We’ve gone from classic offerings to offer some more premium options to go with the new elevated food menu.”