'Transformed' pub wins a Michelin guide entry; Historic Vale inn also praised in foodie guide.Byline: Sally Williams IT'S been transformed from old-fashioned boozer to modern gastropub A gastropub is a British term for a public house ("pub") which specializes in high-quality food a step above the more basic "pub grub." The name is a portmanteau of pub and gastronomy and was coined in 1991 when David Eyre and Mike Belben opened a pub called The Eagle in -and earned a place in one of the UK's most prestigious food guides along the way. The New Conway, in Pontcanna, Cardiff, has been named as one of Britain's best pubs to eat in after an overhaul praised for giving the premises a "light and modern feel". The pub is one of twofromSouthWales - the other is the Blue Anchor in East Aberthaw - named in the new Michelin guide to Eating Out In Pubs 2010. The New Conway is recommended in the guide as the kind of venue where diners are welcome to watch the Six Nations with a bowl of chips and a beer, or treat themselves to a slap-up three-course meal and a bottle of wine. Inspectors said the makeover has given the pub, which is a new entry in the guide, a "light and modern feel", with comfy sofas by the fire and shelves crammed with books and board games. Single dad SeanMurphy,who owns the NewConway, said he has strived tomake the pub a place where children are truly welcomed - not just tolerated. "We have spent a considerable amount of money revamping the pub and investing in our staff," said Mr Murphy, who is celebrating his 36th birthday today. "Our chef, Stephan Nillson, has been promoted from our other premises, Woods Brasserie in Cardiff Bay Cardiff Bay (Welsh: Bae Caerdydd) is the regeneration area created by the Cardiff Barrage which impounded two rivers (Taff and Ely) to form a new 500 acre freshwater lake around the former dockland area south of the city centre of Cardiff in south Wales. , to work here. "My four year old, Elijah, is very involved with our children's menu and has devised his own dish, called Bits and Bobs. It is an anti-pasti for children so it features healthy finger food such as olives and salami. "We want to break away from the burgers and chicken nuggets and chips served by so many pubs for children." Meanwhile, the guide praises the thatched BlueAnchor -which dates back to 1380 and is a former Camra Pub of the Year - as a place where cooking is "traditional and wholesome". The pub's name harks back to the days when East Aberthaw was a bustling port and ships moored there would leave with their anchors covered in distinctive blue mud. "You enter into a slate-floored, drinkers-only bar and dimly-lit dining area where the real surprise is the vast upstairs restaurant which is open for dinner and Sunday lunch," says the guide. The guide goes on to say that the food is presented in a smart and straightforward way, with plenty of flavoursome combinations. The New Conway Beers: Green King IPA IPA - International Phonetic Alphabet , Light Headed, Otter Bitter, Otley, Fee Fi Fo Fum and rotating guest ales. Typical dishes: Smoked mackerel mackerel, common name for members of the family Scombridae, 60 species of open-sea fishes, including the albacore, bonito, and tuna. They are characterized by deeply forked tails that narrow greatly where they join the body; small finlets behind both the dorsal and pt, braised ox cheek, Conwy mocha Mocha (mō`kə), town (1990 est. pop. 2,000), S Yemen, a port on the Red Sea. It was noted for the export of the coffee to which it gave its name but declined as a trading port in the late 19th cent. with the rise of Hodeida and Aden. experience. Meals: A la carte pounds 15/pounds 30. The Blue Anchor Beers: Wadworth 6X, Brains Bitter, Wye Valley
Typical dishes: Pan-seared wood pigeon, roast oriental pork belly, lemon mousse. Meals: A la carte pounds 16/pounds 28. CLICK ON and tell us how good your local pub's grub is Wa l e s Online.co.uk /forum CAPTION(S): The New Conway manager Neil Delahay enjoys a pint and snack in the the pub now featured in the Michelin pub guide |
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