After obtaining a £100K loan from the Development Bank of Wales, a well-known restaurant with roots in rural Wales launched a new location in Machynlleth. Wales’ only restaurant to ever have two Michelin stars is Ynyshir Restaurant and Rooms in Eglwys Fach.

The Estrella Damn National Restaurant Awards in 2022 and 2023 awarded it the finest restaurant in the UK. Since 2013, multi-award-winning chef Gareth Ward has been in charge of the cuisine at Ynyshir, receiving five AA rosettes and several awards from the fine dining community.

The Ynyshir Restaurant Group has now launched Gwen, a tiny eight-seat restaurant with a communal dining experience, owing to a £100,000 loan from the Development Bank, under the direction of chef Corrin Harrison. They were able to renovate the former bistro into a new restaurant and wine bar and open in time for the tourist season thanks to a loan from the Wales Flexible Investment Fund.

Gwen, a charming wine bar with well chosen wines and craft beers from all around the world, is named after Gareth Ward’s mother. The A5 Wagyu steak, British lamb, and fish on the menu will be the same top-notch items utilised at Ynyshir.

The Ynyshir Restaurant Group’s creative director, Amelia Eiriksson, said: “We’ve been considering potential growth for a while, but we wanted to make sure that we got the ideal venue that could express the ambiance we desired. The atmosphere at Gwen will be more relaxed and casual than it was at Ynyshir, and the new location suits the idea we had for a more intimate, communal eating experience. We’re thrilled that we were able to locate this fantastic location in the centre of Machynlleth, just a short distance from Ynyshir.”